Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan released in prisoner swap between Russia and the West

The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it had successfully negotiated the release of American citizens from Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. The individuals are anticipated to land on American soil by dusk. The negotiations involved over six countries and two dozen prisoners.

The agreement that resulted in the four American captives being released was hailed by President Joe Biden as a "feat of diplomacy and friendship."

“Now, their brutal ordeal is over and they’re free,” Biden said in a televised address from the White House as he stood alongside family members of those freed. “This is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here. It’s relief to the friends and colleagues all across the country who have been praying for this day for a long time.”

American citizens Gershkovich, Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva are on their way to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, and when they arrive tonight, they should be greeted by Vice President Biden and Assistant Secretary of Defense. Legal permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza is scheduled to travel to Germany to visit with his family, but the administration stated that he is anticipated to return to the United States shortly.

24 persons are involved in the huge agreement, which is divided among seven countries. These include eight Russian prisoners in the United States, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, and Poland, as well as five German and seven Russian citizens detained in Russia.

Eight Russian citizens will be returned to Russia in exchange, including Vadim Konoshchenok, Vladislav Klyushin, and Roman Seleznyov—three of whom were detained in American prisons.

Months of meticulous discussions involving direct participation from the president resulted in the greatest prisoner swap with Russia since the end of the Cold War.

"In the context of the war against Ukraine and the overall degradation of our relations with Russia, securing the release of Americans detained in Russia has been uniquely challenging," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday.

In March 2023, Wall Street Journal writer Gershkovich was arrested by Russian authorities while he was working in Yekaterinburg. The U.S. government swiftly condemned the Russian authorities' accusations of espionage against him, and in April of the same year, it formally declared that Gershkovich had been illegally held.

A Russian court condemned Gershkovich to 16 years in prison early in July 2024, more than a year later. America referred to his expedited trial as "a sham."

Whelan, an American detainee in Russia for the longest period of time and a veteran of the Marine Corps, was taken into custody in December 2018 while visiting the nation for a friend's wedding. In 2020, he was also found guilty of spying and given a 16-year prison term.

Kurmasheva, a dual-citizen Russian and American journalist for the US-funded Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) with a base in Prague, was arrested in June 2023 following a visit to her mother in May. In July of this year, after a hasty and secret trial, she was sentenced to six and a half years in prison by Russian authorities, who had accused her of spreading false information about Russia's military.

Kurmasheva, unlike Whelan and Gershkovich, was not declared unlawfully detained by the United States; however, Mr. Biden publicly demanded her release during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April 2024.

Amidst increased political tensions between the United States and Russia, which include sanctions placed on Russia and Russian officials for their invasion of Ukraine beginning in 2022, the intricate prisoner swap represents a unique instance of cooperation. Prior to the war, tensions existed between the two nations because of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its annexation of Crimea.