After months of intricate negotiations involving more than six countries and two dozen prisoners, the Biden administration announced on Thursday the successful release of three American citizens from Russia. Among those freed are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. The three are expected to return to American soil by nightfall.
The release is part of a substantial 24-person prisoner swap involving the U.S., Russia, Germany, and three other Western nations. This exchange marks one of the largest since the end of the Cold War.
“This is a significant and hard-fought win for the Biden administration,” said President Biden, who has overseen the release of more than 60 hostages or wrongful detainees worldwide over the past three years. The cases in Russia, involving a longstanding geopolitical rival, have drawn exceptional attention and scrutiny.
“All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over,” President Biden said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, twelve political dissidents held in Russia have been released to Germany. Among them is Kremlin critic and Washington Post contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is expected to be flown to Germany. Kara-Murza, a British-Russian citizen and U.S. green card holder, has a family living in the U.S.
In return, Russia will receive eight of its nationals, including three held in U.S. prisons: Vadim Konoshchenok, Vladislav Klyushin, and Roman Seleznyov. Additionally, two Russians held in Slovenia, one in Poland, and another in Norway will be repatriated. All have known or suspected ties to Russian intelligence, according to U.S. officials.
A key figure in the swap was Vadim Krasikov, a convicted murderer sentenced to life in prison by a German court in 2021 for killing a Georgian asylee. The German judges labeled the act as “state terrorism” ordered by Russian federal authorities.
The details of the deal, coordinated over more than six months by multiple U.S. government agencies, were closely guarded. However, speculation had grown after prominent Russian political prisoners, including Kara-Murza, were moved from their respective jails in Russia. The complex exchange finally took place on Thursday on a tarmac in Ankara, Turkey.
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained in March 2023 while on assignment in Yekaterinburg. Charged with espionage, he faced condemnation from the U.S. government, which declared him wrongfully detained. In early July 2024, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court. His trial was labeled a “sham” by U.S. officials.
“We are overwhelmed with relief and elated for Evan and his family, as well as for the others who were released,” said Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour and editor-in-chief Emma Tucker. They also condemned the actions of the Russian regime, which orchestrated Gershkovich’s 491-day imprisonment on false accusations.
Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran, was arrested in December 2018 while attending a friend’s wedding in Russia. Also charged with espionage, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020. Whelan, his family, and the U.S. government consistently denied the allegations and declared him wrongfully detained.
“Paul was held hostage for 2,043 days. His case was that of an American in peril, held by the Russian Federation as part of their blighted initiative to use humans as pawns to extract concessions,” the Whelan family said in a statement. “Paul Whelan is free.”
Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in June 2023 while visiting her mother. Charged with disseminating false information about Russia’s military, she was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in a secret trial in July 2024. Her husband, Pavel Butorin, expressed immense relief and gratitude for her release.
Unlike Whelan and Gershkovich, Kurmasheva was not officially deemed wrongfully detained by the U.S., though President Biden publicly called for her release at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April 2024.
Despite the success of the swap, several Americans remain imprisoned in Russia, including teacher Marc Fogel, musician Michael Travis Leake, U.S. Army staff sergeant Gordon Black, and Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina.
The negotiations for this deal began soon after the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken directed teams to make an offer for Whelan, but the Russians initially rejected it. Over time, U.S. negotiators explored various options, including involving high-profile prisoners like Alexey Navalny. However, Navalny’s mysterious death in a Russian prison in February 2024 complicated the discussions.
In April, President Biden sent a letter to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz detailing a new plan, which Scholz eventually approved. Following further meetings and negotiations, CIA Director Burns presented the final proposal to Russian officials in mid-July.
The Russians agreed, and the deal was set into motion.
On July 21, President Biden finalized the details with his Slovenian counterpart. An hour later, he announced that he would not seek reelection, marking a significant accomplishment in his presidency.
