‘A feat of diplomacy’: Biden hails Russia-US prisoner swap
Update Appended
President Joe Biden hailed as historic the recently announced prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, which included freeing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Gershkovich, 32, was one of three Americans and one American green card holder whose freedom was confirmed on Thursday. Five Germans and seven Russian political prisoners, some of whom had been imprisoned for years, were also released.
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Along with the Journal reporter, American Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive who was jailed on espionage charges, and Radio Free Europe reporter Alsu Kurmasheva were also freed in the swap.
In return, the United States and assorted European nations gave Russia several prisoners, including Vadim Krasikov, a former intelligence officer and hit man who had been serving a life sentence in Germany after being convicted of murder.
In a statement released Thursday, Biden described the negotiations process and the deal that led to their release as “a feat of diplomacy” that was aided by America’s allies in the region.
“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,” stated Biden.
Biden also promised that he “will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family,” citing “over 70 such Americans, many of whom were in captivity since before I took office.”
“We remember all those still wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world,” he added. “And reaffirm our pledge to their families: We see you. We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong.”
In their reporting of Gershkovich, the Journal described the prisoner swap deal as “the largest and most complex East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War.”
According to the Journal, Gershkovich had been imprisoned by Russian authorities for over a year on a “false allegation of espionage,” and had been sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony following a “hurried and secret three-day trial.”
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the arrest of Gershkovich, claiming in an interview with Tucker Carlson in February that the journalist "was caught red-handed when he was secretly getting classified information."
Putin also told the former Fox News opinion host that Russia was willing to release Gershkovich, but that there were “certain conditions that are being discussed between special services."
During a press conference, Biden was asked to respond to comments made by Donald Trump in which the Republican presidential candidate said that he would have gotten the American hostages released without giving anything in exchange.
"Why didn't he do it when he was president?" Biden replied before leaving the conference.
While Whelan was arrested in Russia in 2018, which was during the Trump administration, Gershkovich and Kurmasheva were detained while Biden has been president.
Update, 8/5/2024
Article updated to include the press conference comment by President Joe Biden about the hostages and when they were first detained.
