Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich are among the Americans released by a prisoner swap with Russia
More than a dozen Russian prisoners held by the United States and other nations in Europe were exchanged for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, marking one of the largest prisoner swaps between the United States, its allies, and Russia since the end of the Cold War, according to U.S. officials on Thursday.Eight Russians who are detained in the United States, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Poland are swapped for a total of sixteen political prisoners, journalists, and other individuals, including five Germans. Among the Russians are three other Russians being held by the United States and Vadim Krasikov, a Russian state assassin who was found guilty and was detained in Germany.
President Biden praised countries that collaborated with the US on the swap agreement, calling it "a feat of diplomacy." He released a statement saying, "This is a powerful example of why it's crucial to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend on.”
According to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, "not since the Cold War has there been a similar number of individuals exchanged in this way." The exchange was the "culmination of many rounds of complex painstaking negotiations over many, many months." Later on Thursday, Sullivan stated that President Biden will want to build on the achievements in attempting to free additional Americans detained in Syria, Afghanistan, and other locations, as well as U.S. citizen Marc Fogel, who is currently detained in Russia.
Gershkovich, Whelan, Russian journalist and dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, a permanent citizen of the United States, and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who works for American-funded Radio Free Europe, are among those making their way back to the United States from Russia.
Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, thanked the Turkish government for "providing a location for the safe return of these individuals to the United States and Germany.”
In a statement, the Turkish government claimed to have been instrumental in organizing and carrying out "the most extensive prisoner exchange operation of lately in Ankara," involving not only Whelan and Gershkovich but also Russian dissident Ilya Yashin, German mercenary Rico Krieger, who was identified as a colonel in the FSB, Russia's internal security service, and Russian dissident Vadim Krasikov.
Gershkovich was the first American journalist to face espionage charges since the end of the Cold War when he was detained in Moscow in March 2023. He was given a 16-year prison sentence by a Russian court last month after the prosecutor there charged him with collaborating with the CIA to gather intelligence on a Russian arms manufacturer.
Whelan, a veteran of the Marine Corps and citizen of the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, was detained in Russia in December 2018 on suspicion of espionage, an allegation he vehemently rejected. Whelan was given a 16-year prison sentence by a Moscow court on June 15, 2020.
His family released the following statement on thursday : “Paul was held hostage by the Russian Federation for 2,043 days, during which he lost his home and job. His family expressed gratitude for the support he received and requested continued privacy as he rebuilds his life. They emphasized that it is Paul's story to tell when he is ready.”
Whelan and Kara-Murza are British nationals, and their release was applauded by Foreign Secretary David Lammy of the United Kingdom. He claimed that Kara-Murza, a prominent opponent of Putin's government, shouldn't have been detained because he had spoken the truth about the conflict in Ukraine while in detention.
Alsu Kurmasheva, an American journalist taking care of a family member, was unfairly targeted in Russia, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus. Declaring that journalism is not a crime, he underlined that her release increases their resolve to free three other RFE/RL journalists who are detained in Belarus and Russian-occupied Crimea. Pavel Butorin, Kurmasheva's spouse, called her release "the happiest day of our lives.”
Vice President Kamala Harris was instrumental in securing the hostage release agreement through international diplomacy, a White House official told NPR. In order to further negotiations, Harris met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February during the Munich Security Conference. During the meeting, they talked about Vadim Krasikov, a German prisoner who is important for a possible swap. In order to discuss two Russian nationals being detained in a Slovenian prison, Harris also visited with Robert Golob, the prime minister of Slovenia.
Kurmasheva's husband told NPR that their two girls, who grew to be ardent supporters of her release, showed incredible bravery throughout her incarceration. In addition to being taller, he said Alsu will find them to be more mature and steadfast in their defense of their American right to free speech and expression. He gave his girls credit for getting the family through the difficult time.
