Putin sends Trump a gift - and will hope for something in return

When Russia releases an American citizen from prison, the US normally hands someone over in return.Think Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and the mass prisoner swap in 2024. Or how basketball star Britney Griner was traded for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in 2022. But this time it was different. One-way traffic. After more than four years behind bars, former US marine Robert Gilman was freed by Russia, and no one went the other way. Image: Former US Marine Robert Gilman was jailed for assaulting a Russian police officer in 2022. Pic: Reuters That's very unusual. Moscow seldom gives anything up for free. So why has Vladimir Putin agreed to it?Gilman's release follows reports last week that he was close to death. According to an unnamed US official quoted by Reuters, the Russian president granted the former marine's release as a "goodwill gesture". Has Putin suddenly gone soft? Is hostage diplomacy now a thing of the past? I very much doubt it.Instead, this feels like a not-so-subtle attempt by the Kremlin to curry favour with the White House in the hope it'll bring diplomatic dividends. (No prizes for guessing where Moscow will want to cash those in.) Gilma...