President Biden has called the prisoner swap deal with Russia Thursday that secured the release of The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and others a “feat of diplomacy.”
“Today, three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza,” he said in a statement.
“The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia — including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.”
“I am grateful to our Allies who stood with us throughout tough, complex negotiations to achieve this outcome — including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey. This is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon. Our alliances make Americans safer,” Biden continued.
“And let me be clear: I will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family,” he added.
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and accused of espionage. The Biden administration declared him “wrongfully detained” and The Wall Street Journal and U.S. government both emphatically denied the charges, calling them absurd on their face.
Whelan had languished in Russian custody for years. A well-placed source told Fox News that Turkish intelligence officials played a key role in mediating the prisoner swap.
The last time Russia exchanged prisoners with the U.S. was December 2022, when it freed basketball player Brittney Griner in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for smuggling and possessing cannabis. Like in Gershkovich’s case, Griner’s harsh sentence was viewed as Russia effectively taking an American hostage to obtain leverage over the U.S.
Fox News has learned that the detainees are now on a plane heading back to the U.S.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fox News’ David Rutz, Brian Flood and Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.
