Russia frees US reporter Evan Gershkovich in huge prisoner swap with West
1. "Their brutal ordeal is over," Biden tells news conference
US journalist Evan Gershkovich and a Russian intelligence colonel jailed for a Berlin murder were among two dozen prisoners freed on Thursday in the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War.
The intricate multinational deal, which freed the Wall Street Journal reporter and others including former US Marine Paul Whelan, involved months of secret negotiations and culminated in a dramatic exchange on the airport tarmac in Turkey’s capital, Ankara.
Overjoyed family members appeared at the White House alongside US President Joe Biden, who announced they’d been able to call their freed loved ones from the Oval Office. "Their brutal ordeal is over," Biden said at a news conference.
Biden expressed gratitude to the leaders of Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Norway for agreeing to release Russian prisoners under the deal, and to Turkey for hosting the handover. "They made bold and brave decisions" to release Russians held for espionage and other crimes in exchange for Westerners, Russian dissidents, and human rights activists, he said.
In total, 10 Russians, including two minors, were exchanged for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
Among those returned to Moscow was Vadim Krasikov, a Russian intelligence agent imprisoned in Germany for the assassination of a former Chechen rebel commander.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted that the "difficult" swap had "saved lives."
**‘Biggest hug’**
President Vladimir Putin welcomed the Russian prisoners with a red carpet reception at Moscow airport, embracing them as they descended from their plane, as shown on TV.
"I want to congratulate you on your return to the motherland," Putin said.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, were set to greet the freed US prisoners outside Washington later in the day.
The Wall Street Journal expressed "overwhelmed relief" at Gershkovich's release. Gershkovich, 32, was detained in Russia in March 2023 during a reporting trip and sentenced in July to 16 years in prison on spying charges denounced by the United States.
"We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close," Gershkovich’s family said in a statement. Biden later posted a picture of a smiling Gershkovich and other detainees on a plane.
The group also included Whelan, who was detained in 2018 and had previously complained of being abandoned by Washington, and another American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian Kremlin critic with US residency, was also among those freed.
Biden, marking a major diplomatic success in his final six months in office after ending his reelection bid, described their convictions in Russia as "show trials."
Speculation about a deal had swirled for days after several detainees disappeared from the prison system, but there was no confirmation until they finally switched planes in Ankara. "We held our breath and crossed our fingers," said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
**‘Pawns’**
The White House led months of behind-the-scenes negotiations with Russia despite tensions over Ukraine and had to rely on European allies reluctant to hand convicted criminals back to Moscow. Biden even called the Slovenian premier an hour before his surprise election withdrawal on July 21 to push for the release of two Russians.
A total of 12 prisoners released by Russia will go to Germany, including opposition politician Ilya Yashin, who had been jailed for criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They also include Rico Krieger, a German sentenced to death in Belarus on espionage charges before a recent reprieve.
This exchange was the first between Russia and the West since US basketball player Brittney Griner returned home in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022. It was the largest since 2010 when 14 alleged spies were exchanged, including double agent Sergei Skripal and undercover Russian agent Anna Chapman.
The White House revealed that an even more ambitious agreement had been in the works, with attempts to negotiate the release of Putin opponent Alexei Navalny, who died in February this year.
Despite the rare moment of cooperation, Biden said he didn’t "need to speak" with the Kremlin leader.
Media rights group Reporters Without Borders said it was "hugely relieved," while Amnesty International stated that the swap demonstrated Putin was using "political prisoners as pawns."
