President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted journalist Evan Gershkovich on Thursday as he and two other Americans returned to the U.S. after being released by Russia in a significant prisoner swap.
Gershkovich, Wall Street Journal reporter, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva received a warm welcome from family and friends as they disembarked from the plane and embraced Biden and Harris.
“It feels wonderful; it was a long time coming,” Biden said at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, where they arrived around 11:40 PM (0340 GMT). They were part of a larger swap involving two dozen detainees, the most substantial East-West exchange since the Cold War.
Another freed prisoner, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a U.S. resident and Russian Kremlin critic, was returning separately to the United States. The exchange involved ten Russians, including two minors, traded for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia, in a dramatic transfer at the Ankara airport.
Biden noted the importance of alliances, stating, “They stepped up and took a chance for us,” emphasizing the involvement of Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Belarus in the deal.
Harris, likely to be the Democratic presidential nominee after Biden exited the 2024 race, called it “an extraordinary day.” The freed individuals are expected to head to San Antonio, Texas, for medical evaluations and care at Brooke Army Medical Center.
The most prominent detainee, 32-year-old Gershkovich, was arrested in Russia in March 2023 on a reporting trip and sentenced to 16 years in prison for alleged spying, a charge condemned by the U.S. He smiled as he stepped onto the runway, hugged Biden and Harris, and briefly spoke with them. When asked how it felt to be home, he replied, “Not bad,” while greeting fellow journalists.
Gershkovich’s family expressed their joy in a statement, saying they had “waited 491 days for Evan’s release,” and eagerly anticipated seeing him again.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had extended his own welcome to the freed Russian prisoners, mirroring the ceremony in the U.S. Germany agreed to take 12 detainees, including five Germans, among them Rico Krieger, who faced a death sentence in Belarus before receiving a reprieve.
Speculation about the deal had circulated for days as several detainees disappeared from the prison system, confirmed only when they switched planes in Ankara. “We held our breath and crossed our fingers,” said U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
This exchange marked the first between Russia and the West since the release of U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner in December 2022 in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. It was the largest since 2010 when 14 alleged spies were swapped, which included double agent Sergei Skripal and Russian agent Anna Chapman.
“I want to congratulate you on your return to the motherland,” Putin remarked.
The historic swap came after months of secret negotiations and involved the release of Russians accused of murder, espionage, and other crimes. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the swap as “difficult” but one that had “saved lives.” The White House revealed that there were attempts to negotiate the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny before his death in February this year.