United States – US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed a group of prisoners released by Russia in a historic exchange deal with the West, which included journalist Ivan Gershkovich and members of the US Marine Corps, at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Thursday evening.
Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were warmly welcomed by their families and friends as they stepped off the plane, before each hugging Biden and Harris.
“It’s a great feeling, it’s a long time coming,” Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
The three Americans are among more than 20 detainees released as part of the largest prisoner swap between East and West since the Cold War.
“Alliances make a difference. Step up and take risks for us,” Biden said of the deal, which also included Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Belarus.
For her part, Harris, the likely Democratic candidate for the presidential election scheduled for next November after Biden’s withdrawal from it, praised what she described as an “exceptional day.”
The historic swap came after months of top-secret negotiations that included the release of Russians held on charges of murder, espionage and other crimes.
For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the exchange operation was “difficult” but “saved lives.”
Berlin has agreed to take in 13 detainees, including five German nationals, including Rico Krieger, a German sentenced to death in Belarus on charges of espionage.
This is the first prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the exchange of American basketball star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022, and is also the largest since 2010, when 14 alleged spies were exchanged between Russia and the West.
The White House revealed that the United States sought the release of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, but he died in prison in Russia last February.
In another context, the US State Department praised the prisoner exchange process that took place in Ankara, thanking Turkey for its effective role in making the process a success.
Vedant Patel, deputy spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said in a press conference that Turkey provided significant logistical support during this operation.
Patel stressed that Turkey remains a vital partner and ally of the United States, praising the negotiations conducted by Turkey in the exchange process.
Source: Agencies
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2024-08-02 16:17:57
