After a lengthy and intricate negotiation involving over six countries and more than two dozen prisoners, the Biden administration announced the release of three American citizens from Russia on Thursday. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva are expected to return to the United States by nightfall.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were released Thursday by Russia as part of a major, multi-nation swap of two dozen prisoners. https://t.co/WOeaAzI1jL pic.twitter.com/I45zQiZNp4
— CNBC (@CNBC) August 1, 2024
The three Americans will be returning home as part of a significant 24-person prisoner swap involving the U.S., Russia, Germany, and three other Western countries. This swap is one of the largest since the Cold War, marking a significant achievement for the Biden administration, which has successfully secured the release of over 60 hostages or wrongful detainees worldwide in the past three years.
President Biden emphasized the hardship these individuals endured, stating, “All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.”
The agreement includes the release of 12 political dissidents from Russia to Germany. Among them is Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic and Washington Post contributor. Kara-Murza, a British-Russian citizen and U.S. green card holder, will be flown to the United States.
In exchange, Russia will receive eight of its nationals, including three who were held in U.S. prisons: Vadim Konoshchenok, Vladislav Klyushin, and Roman Seleznyov. Additionally, Russia will repatriate four individuals held in Slovenia, Poland, and Norway, all with known or suspected ties to Russian intelligence.
Key among those returned to Russia is Vadim Krasikov, a convicted murderer sentenced to life in prison by a German court for a politically motivated killing. German judges identified this act as “state terrorism” ordered by Russian authorities.
The negotiations for this intricate exchange were coordinated over more than six months by multiple U.S. government agencies, including the White House, State Department, and CIA. Details of the deal were kept confidential, though speculation grew as prominent Russian political prisoners were moved from their jails.
Two of the biggest name and target the U.S. was trying to free Gershkovich and Whelan is finally coming home after prisoner swap with Russia. pic.twitter.com/kMdQKSB5N6
— ꪻꫝể ꪻꫝể (@TheThe1776) August 1, 2024
The final exchange took place on Thursday on a tarmac in Ankara, Turkey, in what appears to be one of the most complex swaps in history.
Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained by Russian authorities in March 2023 while on assignment in Yekaterinburg. Charged with espionage, his trial and 16-year sentence were condemned by the U.S. government as a “sham.”
Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran, was arrested in December 2018 on espionage charges while attending a friend’s wedding in Russia. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020. Whelan, his family, and the U.S. government consistently denied the allegations, claiming he was a political pawn.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in June 2023 after visiting her mother. She was sentenced to six and a half years in a secret trial for disseminating false information about Russia’s military. Despite not being officially deemed wrongfully detained, President Biden called for her release in April 2024.
Despite this significant exchange, several Americans remain imprisoned in Russia, including teacher Marc Fogel, musician Michael Travis Leake, U.S. Army staff sergeant Gordon Black, and ballerina Ksenia Karelina.
Negotiations intensified after the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner in December 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan worked with German officials and other allies to craft a proposal acceptable to Russia.
Despite setbacks, including the mysterious death of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, a breakthrough came in February when President Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz finalized the details of the exchange.
Russia has agreed to a multi-country prisoner swap that includes WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
ABC News’ @TSoufiBurridge has more on the other prisoners involved in the swap. https://t.co/HW0vYhMFEW pic.twitter.com/zBtFArKKbV
— ABC News (@ABC) August 1, 2024
The deal was officially confirmed in mid-July, leading to Thursday’s successful exchange, marking a pivotal moment in U.S. diplomatic efforts.
Major Points:
- The Biden administration announced the release of three Americans from Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, through a complex 24-person prisoner swap.
- The swap, involving the U.S., Russia, Germany, and three other Western countries, is one of the largest since the Cold War and highlights the administration’s efforts in securing over 60 detainee releases in the past three years.
- The agreement included the release of 12 political dissidents from Russia to Germany, among them Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza. In return, Russia received eight of its nationals, including Vadim Krasikov, a convicted murderer with ties to Russian intelligence.
- The negotiations were coordinated over six months by various U.S. government agencies and culminated in the exchange on a tarmac in Ankara, Turkey.
- Despite the significant exchange, several Americans, including teacher Marc Fogel and U.S. Army staff sergeant Gordon Black, remain imprisoned in Russia.
Al Santana – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
