TheUnited States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviethistory on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist Evan Gershkovich andfellow American Paul Whelan, along with dissidents including VladimirKara-Murza, in a multinational deal that set two dozen people free.
Gershkovich,Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with dual U.S.-Russia citizenship,arrived on American soil shortly before midnight for a joyful reunion withtheir families. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were alsothere to greet them and dispense hugs all around.
Thetrade unfolded despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at theirlowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin’sFebruary 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Negotiators in backchannel talks at onepoint explored an exchange involving Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny,but after his death in February ultimately stitched together a 24-person dealthat required significant concessions from European allies, including therelease of a Russian assassin, and secured freedom for a cluster ofjournalists, suspected spies, political prisoners and others.
Bidentrumpeted the exchange, by far the largest in a series of swaps with Russia, asa diplomatic feat while welcoming families of the returning Americans to theWhite House. But the deal, like others before it, reflected an innateimbalance: The U.S. and allies gave up Russians charged or convicted of seriouscrimes in exchange for Russia releasing journalists, dissidents and othersimprisoned by the country’s highly politicized legal system on charges seen bythe West as trumped-up.
“Dealslike this one come with tough calls,” Biden said. He added, “There’s nothingthat matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad.”
Underthe deal, Russia released Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journalwho was jailed in 2023 and convicted in July of espionage charges that he andthe U.S. government vehemently denied. His family said in a statement releasedby the newspaper that “we can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see hissweet and brave smile up close.” The paper’s editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker,called it a “joyous day.”
“Whilewe waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we couldbe on Evan’s behalf. We are so grateful for all the voices that were raisedwhen his was silent. We can finally say, in unison, ‘Welcome home, Evan,’” shewrote in a letter posted online.
Alsoreleased was Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed since 2018,also on espionage charges he and Washington have denied, and Kurmasheva, aRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist convicted in July of spreading falseinformation about the Russian military, accusations her family and employerhave rejected.
Thedissidents released included Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic and PulitzerPrize-winning writer serving 25 years on charges of treason widely seen aspolitically motivated, as well as multiple associates of Navalny. Freed Kremlincritics included Oleg Orlov, a veteran human rights campaigner convicted ofdiscrediting the Russian military, and Ilya Yashin, imprisoned for criticizingthe war in Ukraine.
TheRussian side got Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 andsentenced to life in prison for killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin parktwo years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services.Throughout the negotiations, Moscow had been persistent in pressing for hisrelease, with Putin himself raising it.
Atthe time of Navalny’s death, officials were discussing a possible exchangeinvolving Krasikov. But with that prospect erased, senior U.S. officials,including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, made a fresh push toencourage Germany to release Krasikov. In the end, a handful of the prisonersRussia released were either German nationals or dual German-Russian nationals.
Russiaalso received two alleged sleeper agents jailed in Slovenia, as well as threemen charged by federal authorities in the U.S., including Roman Seleznev, aconvicted computer hacker and the son of a Russian lawmaker, and VadimKonoshchenok, a suspected Russian intelligence operative accused of providingAmerican-made electronics and ammunition to the Russian military. Norwayreturned an academic arrested on suspicions of being a Russian spy; Poland sentback a man it detained on espionage charges.
“Todayis a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world,” Bidensaid.
Alltold, six countries released at least one prisoner and a seventh — Turkey —participated by hosting the location for the swap, in Ankara.
Bidenplaced securing the release of Americans held wrongfully overseas at the top ofhis foreign policy agenda for the six months before he leaves office. In anOval Office address discussing his decision to drop his bid for a second term,Biden said, “We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans beingunjustly detained all around the world.”
Atone point Thursday, he grabbed the hand of Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth, and saidshe’d practically been living at the White House as the administration tried tofree Paul. He then motioned for Kurmasheva’s daughter, Miriam, to come closerand took her hand, telling the room it was her 13th birthday. He asked everyoneto sing “Happy Birthday” with him. She wiped tears from her eyes.
TheBiden administration has now brought home more than 70 Americans detained inother countries as part of deals that have required the U.S. to give up a broadarray of convicted criminals, including for drug and weapons offenses. Theswaps, though celebrated with fanfare, have spurred criticism that theyincentivize future hostage-taking and give adversaries leverage over the U.S.and its allies.
TheU.S. government’s top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, has sought to defendthe deals by saying the number of wrongfully detained Americans has actuallygone down even as swaps have increased.
Tucker,the Journal’s editor-in-chief, acknowledged the debate, writing, “We know theU.S. government is keenly aware, as are we, that the only way to prevent aquickening cycle of arresting innocent people as pawns in cynical geopoliticalgames is to remove the incentive for Russia and other nations that pursue thesame detestable practice.”
Thoughshe called for a change to the dynamic, “for now,” she wrote, “we are celebratingthe return of Evan.”
Thursday’sswap of 24 prisoners surpassed a deal involving 14 people that was struck in2010. In that exchange, Washington freed 10 Russians living in the U.S. assleepers, while Moscow deported four Russians, including Sergei Skripal, adouble agent working with British intelligence. He and his daughter in 2018were nearly killed in Britain by nerve agent poisoning blamed on Russianagents.
Speculationhad mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusualdevelopments, including a startlingly quick trial for Gershkovich, whichWashington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in amaximum-security prison.
Ina trial that concluded in two days in secrecy in the same week asGershkovich’s, Kurmasheva was convicted on charges of spreading falseinformation about the Russian military that her family, employer and U.S.officials rejected. Also in recent days, several other figures imprisoned inRussia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine or over their work withNavalny were moved from prison to unknown locations.
Gershkovichwas arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountainscity of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, thathe was gathering secret information for the U.S. The son of Soviet emigres whosettled in New Jersey, he moved to Russia in 2017 to work for The Moscow Timesnewspaper before being hired by the Journal in 2022.
Gershkovichwas designated as wrongfully detained, as was Whelan, who was detained inDecember 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding.
Whelan,who was serving a 16-year prison sentence, had been excluded from priorhigh-profile deals involving Russia, including the April 2022 swap by Moscow ofimprisoned Marine veteran Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russianpilot convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy. That December, the U.S.released notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout in exchange for WNBA starBrittney Griner, who’d been jailed on drug charges.
“PaulWhelan is free. Our family is grateful to the United States government formaking Paul’s freedom a reality,” his family said in a statement.
Ona warm and steamy night, the freed Americans lingered on the tarmac at JointBase Andrews in Maryland, soaking up the moment of their return to the U.S.They took selfies with family members and friends, shared hugs with Biden andHarris, and patted loved ones on the back and smothered them with kisses.
Atone point, Biden gave Whelan the flag pin off his own lapel.
