08/05/2024
■Class discussion: Five NATO allies worked the United States in the prisoner swap with Russia. How important are alliances to achieving diplomatic goals? Some politicians and pundits say such prisoner exchanges encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to arrest people to use as bargaining chips. Is that a valid concern? Should we impose travel bans on Russia or other nations to prevent hostage-taking? Or, should people heed government warnings and travel to those places at their own risk?