US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris are set to greet Americans who have been freed from Russian custody upon their arrival back in the US tonight. The White House announced that they will be meeting the returning Americans at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 11.30pm ET before returning to Washington DC.
Among those freed in the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the cold war include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed Germans and Russians who were part of the exchange to Germany, calling the conversations with them “very moving.”
Evan Gershkovich’s nearly 500-day ordeal in Russia’s prison system, where he was charged with espionage, highlighted the challenges faced by journalists and political prisoners in Russia. The exchange also included the release of Russian opposition figures and convicts in the US.
The prisoner swap was part of a larger diplomatic effort between the US, Germany, and Russia. The release of the Americans marks a significant moment in US-Russia relations and highlights the importance of international cooperation in securing the freedom of individuals caught in geopolitical tensions. Biden and Harris’s gesture of personally receiving the Americans demonstrates the significance of their return and the ongoing efforts to secure their release.
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