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US reporter Evan Gershkovich freed in prisoner swap with Russia

by THE ASSOSCIATED PRESS
| August 1, 2024 9:40 AM

The United States and Russia completed a 24-person prisoner swap on Thursday, the largest in post-Soviet history, with Moscow releasing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.

The Journal confirmed that Gershkovich had been freed.

It's the latest exchange between Washington and Moscow in the past two years, following a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout.

Russia meanwhile secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West.

Addressing the nation from the White House State Room, Biden said it was a “feat of diplomacy” that brought home Whelan, Gershkovich, Kurmasheva and Kara-Murza. He said multiple countries worked together to get it done.

As Biden made his statement at the White House, he was joined by relatives of the freed Americans.

The U.S. president said he and the families had spoken to their relatives by phone from the Oval Office minutes before his address. Biden called the release an “incredible relief” for the families and a feat of diplomacy.

Republicans in the Senate welcomed the news but also pointed out the deal came at a cost for the U.S.

Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement, “While I am glad to see the return of these wrongfully detained Americans, we must not forget those who were left behind: Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina. The United States paid a steep price for this exchange, as those returning to Russia are some of Putin’s most valuable assets who will be glad to return to their villainous ways.”

Meanwhile, Democrats also lauded the Biden administration for including Russian opposition leaders in the release.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said it “speaks to a very smart policy by this administration to of course prioritize Americans, but also realize that we can’t stand up for democracy globally if we are not supporting freedom fighters inside places like Russia.”