In a historic prisoner swap, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed home several American detainees released by Russia on Thursday.
The emotional reunion took place at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C.
Journalist Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were greeted with cheers from their families as they stepped off the plane. Biden and Harris embraced each of the freed prisoners, expressing relief and joy at their return to U.S. soil.
“It feels wonderful, it was a long time coming,” Biden told reporters of the high-stakes exchange that had been months in the making. The deal involved the release of 10 Russians, including two minors, in exchange for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia.
Vice President Harris hailed it as “an extraordinary day,” underscoring the collaborative efforts of allied nations that made the historic swap possible. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted the “difficult” negotiations but said the exchange “saved lives.”
The most prominent prisoner freed was Gershkovich, a 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter who had been detained in Russia in March 2023 and sentenced to 16 years in prison on widely disputed espionage charges. Upon his return, Gershkovich smiled and briefly spoke with the gathered journalists, saying simply, “Not bad.”
The freed Americans are now expected to travel to Texas for medical evaluations before being reunited with their loved ones. Biden praised the “alliances” that facilitated the dramatic prisoner exchange, the largest of its kind since the Cold War era.
