U.S. and Russia Agree to Prisoner Swap; Releasing Three American Citizens
In total, the exchange will involve 24 prisoners detained in Russia, the United States, Germany and three other countries in the West (Dmitry Ant/Unsplash).
This exchange is the largest since the Cold War between the United States and Russia
Article by Ryan Hartnett, Senior White House Producer
MOSCOW - On Thursday morning, the Biden administration has agreed to a multi-country prisoner swap with Russia and other countries. This prisoner swap is currently underway and the exchange will include three American citizens detained in Russia.
According to a Senior Biden administration official, the three Americans included in the agreed deal are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, US Marine Veteran Paul Whelan and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was taken into custody in March 2023 while on assignment in Russia. He was charged by Russian authorities with espionage. This past July, Gershkovich was sentenced by a Russian court to 16 years in prison and the United States government quickly condemned the trial and wrongful detainment.
Wheelan, a former U.S. Marine veteran was arrested in December 2018 while traveling to Russia for a friend's wedding. Russian authorities arrested Wheelan for alleged spying and has been serving a 16 year prison sentence since 2020. Wheelan had been left out of previous prisoner swaps between the U.S. and Russia, saying that he felt abandoned and “betrayed” by the United States after being left out of past swaps.
Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist for the U.S. government funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was arrested in October 2023 for spreading false information about the Russian army. She has been serving a 6 ½ year prison sentence since a secret trial took place in July 2024.
In total, the exchange will involve 24 prisoners detained in Russia, the United States, Germany and three other countries in the West.