Biden Celebrates Successful U.S.-Russia Prisoner Swap, 24 Individuals Exchanged

In a poignant moment reflecting his commitment to bringing wrongly detained Americans home and championing the benefits of U.S. alliances, President Biden observed the joyous reunions of families with returning detainees. Addressing reporters, he emphasized, “There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we act together.”

Despite this triumph, critics reignited debates about whether negotiating for captive Americans might encourage more abductions. U.S. officials continue to advise citizens against traveling to Russia and urge those there to leave.

Earlier in the day, Biden stated there was no need for direct communication with Putin.

The complex prisoner exchange involved 24 individuals across seven countries, including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Norway. The physical exchange of Americans and Russians took place on a tarmac in Ankara, Turkey.

The Americans returned included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in early 2023 on espionage charges; former Marine Paul Whelan, who had been imprisoned in Russia for five years; Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, detained while visiting her ailing mother; and Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who holds a U.S. green card and had previously met Biden at the funeral of the late Senator John McCain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sought the release of Vadim Krasikov, a high-value Russian Federal Security Bureau assassin convicted of killing a Chechen dissident in Berlin. Officials speculated that Krasikov might have been Putin’s bodyguard in the past. Gershkovich, as part of his release conditions, signed paperwork requesting an interview with Putin.

Biden and Vice President Harris celebrated the successful operation, attributing the achievement to diplomacy, international alliances, skilled intelligence personnel, and patience.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz played a crucial role, eventually agreeing to release the Russian operative. An intricate agreement was formulated last month, with Harris having privately lobbied Scholz and Slovenian officials during the Munich Security Conference in February.

“This is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here,” Biden stated at the White House, surrounded by the families of the former hostages. “And it’s a relief to friends and colleagues across the country who’ve been praying for this day for a long time,” he added with a smile.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who acted as a liaison with the hostages’ families and collaborated closely with CIA Director William Burns and U.S. hostage negotiator Roger Carstens, shared the emotional journey of the years-long efforts to secure the detainees’ release. “If you hadn’t had Joe Biden sitting in the Oval Office, I don’t think this would have happened,” Sullivan remarked.

The U.S. had hoped to include Russian dissident Alexei Navalny in the exchange, but he died in an Arctic penal colony earlier this year while serving a 19-year sentence.

However, not all Americans detained in Russia have been freed. Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher in Moscow, continues to serve a 14-year sentence in a Russian labor camp on drug smuggling charges. His family expressed their disappointment that Fogel remains imprisoned.