Journalist Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans touched down in Texas yesterday for medical checks after being freed by Russia in a huge prisoner swap.
Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich, former US marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva had hours earlier been greeted by US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris during a brief stopover near Washington.
Their arrival on US soil late on Thursday was met by cheers from family and friends as they disembarked a plane, before each embracing Biden and Harris.
Photo: AFP
“It feels wonderful, it was a long time coming,” Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
They were among two dozen detainees released earlier on Thursday in the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War.
A fourth freed prisoner, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian Kremlin critic with US residency, was also among those freed, but was returning separately to the US.
In total 10 Russians, including two minors, were traded for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia in a dramatic exchange on the airport tarmac in Turkey’s capital, Ankara.
“Alliances make a difference. They stepped up and took a chance for us,” Biden said of the deal, which also involved Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Belarus.
Harris, who is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after Biden dropped out of the race, heralded “an extraordinary day.”
The freed prisoners then traveled onward with their relatives to San Antonio, Texas, for medical evaluations at the Brooke Army Medical Center.
After stepping off the plane they posed for a group photograph in a hanger, before staff briefed them on the plans.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my family down here and just recuperating from five years, seven months and five days of just absolute nonsense by the Russian government,” Whelan said.
The 54-year-old praised US officials who “worked tirelessly” and thanked his supporters.
“I’m glad I’m home. I’m never going back there again,” Whelan said.
The most high-profile prisoner was Gershkovich, 32, who was detained in Russia in March last year on a reporting trip and sentenced in July that year to 16 years in prison on spying charges that were denounced by the US.
Gershkovich smiled with his hands on his hips as he stepped onto the runway near Washington, before hugging Biden and Harris, and speaking with them for about a minute.
“Not bad,” he replied as he greeted fellow journalists who asked how it felt to finally be home.
Gershkovich’s family said in a statement before his arrival that they had “waited 491 days for Evan’s release.”
“We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close,” they said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier given his own hero’s welcome to the freed prisoners from his nation, in a mirror image of the ceremony that would unfold in the US.
They included Vadim Krasikov, a Russian intelligence agent imprisoned in Germany for assassinating a former Chechen rebel.
“I want to congratulate you on your return to the motherland,” Putin said.
The historic swap happened after months of top secret negotiations.
Speculation about a deal had swirled for days after several detainees had disappeared from the prison system, but there was no confirmation until they finally switched planes in Ankara.
“We held our breath and crossed our fingers,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
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