Blinken's Self-Congratulatory Remarks Over Gershkovich's Release

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Remarks

In a press conference held on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his satisfaction over the release of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist from the Wall Street Journal. He stated, "Maybe the most striking part of spending time with Evan, is simply how wonderful it feels to see him free. Home where he belongs." He also used this opportunity to address the issue of other Americans who are still held hostage or wrongfully detained, promising not to rest until they are brought back home.

Allegations of Hypocrisy

However, these remarks have been criticized as hypocritical, considering the alleged neglect of Gonzalo Lira by Blinken's department. Lira, a California-born writer for mainstream financial outlets like Business Insider, Seeking Alpha, and ZeroHedge, was reportedly tortured in a Ukrainian prison for eight months before his death earlier this year. State Spox Matthew Miller was reportedly aware of Lira's torture for at least five of those months.

Lira's Father Accuses Biden Administration

Lira's father has accused the Biden administration of indirectly approving his son's arrest. He pointed to a video posted by Lira on YouTube a few days before his arrest, where Lira was critical of Biden and Kamala Harris. The video is titled "Joe Biden Will Be Removed—Kamala Will Be President." Given Ukraine's significant incentive to please the American government, which had approved more than $100 billion in aid, Lira's father questions whether Ukraine would risk the political backlash of arresting a U.S. citizen without prior approval.

State Department's Response

Despite the State Department's Miller acknowledging Lira's arrest and the allegations of torture, no action was taken. Lira eventually died of pneumonia, an infection that is commonly treatable with antibiotics.

Ukrainian Government's Increasing Despotism

In another incident that highlights the increasing despotism of the Ukrainian government, Natsya Umka, a Kyiv-based fashion blogger with 600k followers, was called in by the Ukrainian Security Services (SBU) for a "talk" after she posted on Instagram that "people want peace" and Ukraine does not need "the border of 1991." After the meeting, Umka appeared shaken and expressed support for the war effort.

Bottom Line

These incidents raise serious questions about the principles and priorities of the US and Ukrainian governments. Is it worth risking nuclear war and spending hundreds of billions of dollars to support a regime that allegedly intimidates citizens into silence and tortures foreigners to death? As Lira's father poignantly asked for justice for his son, who expressed his political views without violence, one must ponder the value of freedom of speech and the cost of political dissent. What are your thoughts on this matter? Do share this article with your friends and discuss. Also, remember to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is available every day at 6pm.