The Biden Administration’s Prisoner Swap With Russia Was Ridiculously Lopsided

It’s good news that three Americans have been released, but to achieve that the U.S. had to release actual Russian assassins and spies.

How Promising NATO Membership To Ukraine Could Lead To World War III

America and its NATO allies must make permanently ending the war their priority and abandon the offer to admit Ukraine as a member.

Vladimir Putin told Biden in June that he didn't want any US forces in Central Asia: Report



Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told President Joe Biden during a June 16 summit meeting that he objected to the U.S. setting up any bases near Afghanistan — including opposition to "any role for American forces in Central Asian countries," the Wall Street Journal reported.

What are the details?

According to the report, Putin, while in Geneva with the president, said that Russia was opposed to U.S. forces remaining in Central Asia.

A Russian foreign ministry official told the outlet on Thursday that the unraveling situation in Afghanistan does not change the country's position.

"We do not see how any form of U.S. military presence in Central Asia might enhance the security of the countries involved and/or of their neighbors," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. "It would definitely NOT be in the interests of Russia. This position has not changed against the backdrop of what is transpiring in Afghanistan these days."

The report added that Putin told Biden that China would also refuse to accept U.S. forces operating in any Central Asian countries.

"The exchange also indicates that Moscow is more determined to try to maintain Central Asia as a sphere of influence than to expand cooperation with a new American president over the turmoil in Afghanistan," the report continued, citing former and current U.S. officials.

Paul Goble, a former State Department expert on Eurasia, told the outlet, "The Russians have no interest in having the U.S. back in there."

This could prove problematic for the U.S., for without access to Central Asian nations, the U.S. would be forced to rely only on bases in and around Qatar and U.S. Navy aircraft carriers stationed in the Indian Ocean in order to enter Afghanistan.

"Flight times from the Gulf states are so long that a U.S. drone might spend more than 60% of its mission flying to and from Afghanistan from the U.S. base at Al Udeid, Qatar, a former senior U.S. military official said," the report added. "This would limit the time for conducting reconnaissance or carrying out strikes over the country."

According to The Hill, Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently spoke with Russian officials about the deteriorating situation across Afghanistan.

"Our embassy will stay in contact with specially assigned representatives of the Taliban higher leadership to work out a permanent mechanism of ensuring safety of our embassy," Zamir Kabulov, Russia's representative in Kabul, said on Monday, according to the outlet.

Mike Pompeo: Biden MUST hold Putin accountable for cyberattacks, 'This is an attack on America'



President Joe Biden and world leaders are spending the week discussing the biggest issues across the globe. But Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State during the Trump administration, believes more needs to be done.

Pompeo joined the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Tuesday to talk about President Biden's upcoming meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and to explain why he believes it's not just "appropriate," but necessary to hold Putin accountable for the recent cyberattacks on the Colonial Pipeline and the JBS meat processing company.

Pompeo said it's likely that "at the very least" Putin turned a blind eye to the major attacks against U.S. infrastructure. He stressed that the Biden administration should not abandon private businesses in the face of these ransomware hacks, but rather do everything possible to make sure those businesses' assets are secure from future invasions.

"This is an attack on America," Pompeo said. "It came through an attack on a commercial enterprise, but the capacity for pipelines to move product around on our east coast is an American national security interest.... We have to help these businesses protect their systems, and then there has to be a national effort to impose costs on those who put American lives at risk by denying available product around our country.

"Putin, at the very least, is turning a blind eye to [the cyberattacks], probably more. So, it's appropriate to hold Vladimir Putin and the Russians accountable for the actions taking place inside of their country," he added. "We have to do it, and there are tools by which we can."

Watch the video below to catch more of the conversation:


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn's masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.