In a moment of profound relief and jubilation, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted journalist Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva upon their return to the United States. The three Americans, who had been detained in Russia, arrived at Joint Base Andrews near Washington late Thursday night, following their release in the most significant prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. since the Cold War.
The exchange involved 24 individuals, with 10 Russians, including two minors, being swapped for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia. Among the notable individuals released was journalist Evan Gershkovich, who had been detained in Russia since March 2023 and sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges, widely condemned as unjust. Gershkovich’s family expressed their joy and relief at his return, stating they had “waited 491 days for Evan’s release.”
The White House, flanked by the freed Americans’ overjoyed families, marked the end of what Biden described as a “brutal ordeal.” Vice President Harris, who is poised to be the Democratic presidential nominee following President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election, emphasized the injustice faced by the released prisoners, calling their previous detention an “appalling perversion of justice.”
The exchange also saw the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic with U.S. residency, who returned separately to the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a similar reception for the freed Russians, including Vadim Krasikov, a Russian intelligence agent imprisoned in Germany for the assassination of a former Chechen rebel.
The swap was the culmination of months of confidential negotiations, with prisoners released from various countries, including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, the U.S., Russia, and Belarus. The unprecedented agreement underscored the bold decisions made by U.S. allies, as praised by Biden, and the difficult choices, as noted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who acknowledged the emotional encounters with the freed prisoners at Cologne airport.
This historic exchange marks a significant diplomatic effort and a reminder of the tense relations between the U.S. and Russia. The last major exchange occurred in 2010, involving 14 alleged spies, with the most recent notable exchange being the return of basketball star Brittney Griner in December 2022.
Despite the success of this exchange, the White House revealed that efforts to include the release of Putin opponent Alexei Navalny, who tragically passed away earlier this year, had been part of the negotiations. Nonetheless, the return of Gershkovich, Whelan, and Kurmasheva symbolizes a moment of triumph and relief amidst ongoing international tensions.
