The Biden administration’s months-long negotiations have culminated in what is being hailed as a “tremendous diplomatic achievement.” On Thursday, the White House announced the successful release of three American citizens and one American green-card holder from Russia.
President Joe Biden, delivering remarks from the State Dining Room of the White House, was seen holding hands with Elizabeth Whelan, as he announced the prisoner swap that includes Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and British-Russian green-card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza. The quartet is expected to arrive in the U.S. by nightfall.
“All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over,” President Biden stated, confirming that the Americans detained in Russia “are safe, free, and have begun their journeys back into the arms of their families.”
Former President Barack Obama, who had previously supported Biden during his re-election campaign, praised the “skill and persistence” of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the U.S. allies involved in the negotiations.
In a related move, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka and the Consulate General in Jaffna successfully facilitated the release of 20 Indian fishermen.
“It’s a tremendous diplomatic achievement, and we’re grateful that they’ll be back home with their families where they belong,” Obama added in a post on X/Twitter.
About the Released American Citizens
Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained in Russia in March 2023 while covering a story in Yekaterinburg. He faced espionage charges, which the U.S. condemned as baseless. In early July 2024, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison in a trial deemed “a sham” by the U.S.
Paul Whelan, the longest-held American detainee in Russia, was arrested in December 2018 during a visit for a friend’s wedding. Charged with espionage, he was sentenced to 16 years in 2020. His family remarked, “Paul was held hostage for 2,043 days. His case was that of an American in peril, held by the Russian Federation as part of their blighted initiative to use humans as pawns to extract concessions.”
Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in June 2023 after a visit to her mother. She faced charges of disseminating false information about Russia’s military and was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in a secret trial. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic and Washington Post contributor, is also set to be released.
The prisoner swap, one of the largest since the Cold War’s end, also involves the release of eight Russian nationals, including three held in U.S. prisons and five held in Slovenia, Poland, and Norway.
Despite this breakthrough, other American detainees in Russia, including teacher Marc Fogel, Army staff sergeant Gordon Black, musician Michael Travis Leake, and ballerina Ksenia Karelina, were not part of this swap.
WNBA star Brittney Griner, previously released in December 2022 in a one-for-one exchange for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, highlighted the ongoing diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Russia.
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