Biden hails prisoner swap freeing Americans from Russia: "Their brutal ordeal is over"

Washington — President Biden addressed the nation Thursday after securing the release of American citizens imprisoned in Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, saying their "brutal ordeal is over."

All three American citizens are on their way back to the United States, as is U.S. green card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was also freed in the deal. The president appeared alongside family members of all four at the White House on Thursday to announce the deal.

"Today, we're bringing home Paul, Evan, Alsu [and] Vladimir," Mr. Biden said, noting all four have been imprisoned "unjustly" in Russia. 

"And now, their brutal ordeal is over, and they're free," he added. 

The massive prisoner swap involves 24 prisoners being held in six countries, according to senior administration officials, who described it as the most complex exchange in U.S. and Russian history. The swap took place in Ankara, Turkey. Family members were able to speak with their loved ones on the phone once they were in U.S. custody, Mr. Biden said. 

Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet the four freed individuals when they arrive on U.S. soil, sometime around 11:30 p.m. ET.

"We never stopped fighting for their release," Harris told reporters in Texas before heading to Washington. "And today, in spite of all of their suffering, it gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is finally over."

In addition to the Americans who were freed, Russia also agreed to release five Germans and seven Russian citizens who the U.S. described as political prisoners.

Mr. Biden said the deal would not have been possible without the help of U.S. allies, saying today is "a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world." The president said the deal required significant concessions from Germany.

Mr. Biden said the agreement also included the release of Russians who dared to speak out against their government. The president recognized that the deal encompassed not only challenging negotiations, but hard choices. 

"Deals like this one come with tough calls, and there are never any guarantees," Mr. Biden said. "But there's nothing more that matters to me than protecting Americans, at home and abroad." 

Asked if he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the matter, Mr. Biden said, "I don't need to speak with Putin." 

Who are the Russians freed in the exchange?

In return for the release of the prisoners held in Russia, the Kremlin will receive eight of its nationals, officials said, including three that were being held in U.S. prisons: Vadim Konoshchenok, Vladislav Klyushin and Roman Seleznyov.

Two Russians held in Slovenia, one in Poland and another in Norway are also headed home. All have known or suspected ties to Russian intelligence, according to U.S. officials.

Key among the prisoners returned to Russia, according to American officials familiar with the talks, was Vadim Krasikov, a convicted murderer who was sentenced to life in prison by a German court in 2021 for killing a Georgian asylee who had fought against Russians in Chechnya. German judges said the killing had been ordered by Russian federal authorities and called it "state terrorism."

Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich

Whelan and Gershkovich have been imprisoned in Russia on accusations of espionage that were rejected by the United States. Kurmasheva, a dual American and Russian citizen, was detained in Russia in June 2023 on charges of spreading false information about the Russian army. 

Russia sentenced Gershkovich last month to 16 years in prison, after proceedings that were entirely closed to the public. Whelan was also sentenced to 16 years in 2020, two years after he was arrested. Russia provided no public proof that either was involved in espionage. 

News of their expected return to the U.S. comes after years of pleading from their families and advocacy groups, as well as extensive negotiations by the Biden administration. 

"Journalism is clearly not a crime," the president said in April at the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C. "Not here, not there, not anywhere in the world. And Putin should release Evan and Alsu immediately ... And I give you my word as a Biden, we're not going to give up until we get them home. All of them. All of them."

The prisoner swap agreement will likely go down as one of the most significant final achievements of the Biden administration, with less than six months to go until the end of his presidency and career in public office. 

As of Thursday, Mr. Biden said his administration has brought home over 70 Americans wrongfully detained abroad.

Weijia Jiang, Arden Farhi, Olivia Gazis, Pat Milton and Camilla Schick contributed reporting.

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