Journalist Evan Gershkovich and two other US citizens landed in Texas, United States, on Friday, where they will undergo medical examinations after being released by Russia in a massive prisoner exchange with the West.
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US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva as they landed at Andrews military base near Washington. Their arrival was greeted with cheers from family and friends.
The three were among 26 prisoners freed early Thursday in the biggest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War.
“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Biden told reporters at the venue, having earlier called the deal a “diplomatic feat.”
A fourth prisoner, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian Kremlin critic based in the United States, was also among those freed but returned to the country separately.
I look forward to seeing my family here and recovering from five years, seven months and five days of utter nonsense.
Total, Ten Russians, including two minors, were exchanged for 16 Westerners and Russians detained in Russia and Belarus, According to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
Following the exchange, Russia ruled out diplomatic progress with Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022.
“When we talk about Ukraine and more complex international problems, the principles are completely different,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Released prisoners will undergo medical examinations
The released inmates traveled Friday to San Antonio, Texas, where they will undergo medical evaluations at Brooke Army Medical Center.
After getting off the plane, they posed for a group photo in a hangar.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my family here and recovering from five years, seven months and five days of utter senselessness by the Russian government,” said Whelan, 54.
“I’m glad to be home. I’ll never go back there,” added the former marine, who was arrested for espionage, laughing.
The most prominent prisoner was Gershkovich, 32, arrested in Russia in March 2023 while reporting and sentenced in July to 16 years in prison. on charges of espionage.
The Wall Street Journal, for which Gershkovich works, said Thursday it was “overwhelmed with relief” at his release.
Russia also welcomes its freed prisoners
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously given his own heroes’ welcome to his country’s freed prisoners.
The Russian security services (FSB) confirmed that “eight Russian citizens detained in several NATO countries and two minor children” returned to Russia under the agreement.
Among them was Vadim Krasikov, jailed in Germany for the murder of a former Chechen independence leader.
The German government has admitted that agreeing to release Krasikov was not an “easy decision” and the Kremlin confirmed on Friday that the man was an FSB agent and had served in the elite Alfa unit.
The historic swap came after months of secret negotiations and involved the release of Russians held on charges of murder, espionage and other crimes.
German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz admitted that the exchange was “difficult” but “saved lives.”
Some of those freed by Moscow and Minsk were transferred to the German city of Cologne, including Rico Krieger, a German sentenced to death in Belarus for espionage who was pardoned this week.
Also released on Thursday was Spanish reporter of Russian origin Pablo González, who had been detained in Poland for more than two years. for being suspected of spying for Moscow, announced his lawyer, Gonzalo Boye.
The Russian-born journalist worked for the online newspaper Público and the television channel La Sexta. He was arrested by Polish intelligence services near Ukraine on 28 February 2022, four days after the start of the Russian invasion.
Gonzalez, 42, “is now free after a period of unjust imprisonment,” Boye said in a statement sent to AFP.
The pact also included Kremlin opponents such as Kara Murza and Ilia Yashin, imprisoned for criticising the invasion of Ukraine.
This was the first prisoner exchange between Moscow and Western countries since the release in December 2022 of American basketball player Brittney Griner, arrested in Russia in a drug case and exchanged for the famous Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, imprisoned in the United States.
In 2010, another agreement freed 14 spies, including Russian Anna Chapman, convicted in the United States, and Sergei Skripal, a double agent imprisoned in Russia.
The number of arrests of Americans in Russia has increased in recent years. Washington says the Kremlin is using this tactic to secure the release of Russians convicted abroad.
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