Joe Biden said on Wednesday he had to make “difficult decisions” to obtain the release of ex-US Marine Trevor Reed, exchanged for a Russian pilot incarcerated in the United States.
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“Trevor, a former US Marine, has been released from prison in Russia,” the US president said in a statement. “The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly,” he added.
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“His safe return is a testament to the priority my administration places on the repatriation of Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad,” he said.
Russian diplomacy had announced just before that Trevor Reed, sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for violence, had been exchanged for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot imprisoned in the United States for cocaine trafficking, citing “a long process of negotiation “.
Trevor Reed’s family told CNN they spoke to him on the phone and that he said he was “fine” but seemed “a bit overwhelmed”.
“He looked like he was in a bit of a shock,” said his mother, Paula Reed.
His father, Joey, also said his son was transferred to another prison “this week” and then flown to Turkey.
“Trevor quickly told us that the American plane had positioned itself near the Russian plane and that they had taken the two prisoners out at the same time like in the movies,” he said.
A US official told reporters on condition of anonymity that Trevor Reed was en route to the United States.
“We welcome this important release, while continuing to call for the release of unjustly detained American citizen Paul Whelan,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, referring to this man convicted in Moscow for espionage.
Paul Whelan’s family quickly rejoiced at the release of Trevor Reed, saying they were “full of joy” for his loved ones.
But “Paul remains hostage” in Russia, his brother David said in a statement.
“Our parents are getting old. We’re still hoping Paul comes home so they can see him one more time. But every day that hope is dwindling,” he added.
Trevor Reed was sentenced in July 2020 to nine years in prison for having assaulted in August 2019, while he was intoxicated, two police officers called to the scene of a party in Moscow.
He had denied the aggression and denounced a “political” affair against the backdrop of Russian-American tensions.
Konstantin Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 by US secret service agents. Accused of drug trafficking, he was taken to the United States where justice sentenced him to 20 years in prison.