Last Update August 02, 2024 12:54am ET

President Biden has called the prisoner swap deal with Russia Thursday that secured the release of The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and others a “feat of diplomacy.”

Covered by: Timothy Nerozzi, Greg Wehner and Louis Casiano

Fast Facts

•  Three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia were released from Russia in a prisoner swap: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza. 
•  President Biden has called the prisoner swap deal with Russia a “feat of diplomacy.” 
•  Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and accused of espionage. 
•  American veteran Paul Whelan has been jailed in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges that both he and the U.S. government dispute. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.  

29Posts Sort by Newest Sort by Oldest 

incoming update…

BREAKING NEWS3 hour(s) ago

PINNED

Americans freed by Russia in prisoner swap land on US soil

The plane carrying the Americans who were released by Moscow in exchange for eight Russians has landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

On board the plane was Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, as well as American veteran Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.

Members of the Wall Street Journal staff were seen on the tarmac, waiting for their colleague Gershkovich to step off the private Bombardier BD-700 Global 7500 twin-jet aircraft.

The freed prisoners were greeted by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris when they arrived.

Biden and Harris approached the plane, and first out was Whelan, who was met with cheers.

After having a word with the president, Whelen walked over to his wife and got a hug.

Next out was Gershkovich, who was first greeted by Harris, and then Biden, whom he hugged.

Gershkovich walked over to his mother, picked her up and hugged her, then moved over to the rest of his family.

Gershkovitch later met some of his colleagues from the Wall Street Journal, shaking hands with some and hugging another who all came to welcome him back to the U.S.

Biden walked over and first greeted Kurmasheva. The two had words before she met with Harris.

After meeting with Biden, Harris and their families, Gershkovitch, Whelan and Kurmasheva were expected to board a plane before flying to San Antonio, Texas, where they will be evaluated.

Posted by Greg Wehner Share

2 hour(s) ago

Biden sends message to Putin after freed Americans land on US soil: ‘Stop’

President Biden spoke to reporters after a plane carrying three American prisoners who were released by Russia landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday night.

Biden was asked about his feelings about getting the prisoners home and said, “satisfaction.”

He was also asked what his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin would be.

“Stop,” Biden said.

Biden told reporters, “There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we act together…Nothing…We’re the United States of America.”

Harris told reporters this is “the power of diplomacy.”

“This is an extraordinary day. I’m very thankful for our president and what he has done,” Harris said. “This is an incredible day and you can see it in the families.”

Posted by Greg Wehner Share

4 hour(s) ago

Mom of still-imprisoned Marc Fogel criticizes Biden admin for not getting her son released: report

Marc Fogel (Photo courtesy Ellen Keelan and Lisa Hyland)

The mother of Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia for the last three years criticized the Biden administration for not “trying hard enough” to include her son in  a prisoner swap with Russia that resulted in the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans, according to reports.

The New York Post reported that the 95-year-old Malphine Fogel said she was disappointed her 65-year-old son was overlooked again by Biden’s team when negotiating a deal to release Americans imprisoned in Russia.

Fogel, who works as a teacher, was sentenced to 14 years in a hard labor Russian penal colony after he was arrested for possessing medical marijuana that was prescribed to him for chronic back pain.

WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested at a Russian airport in 2022 after she was found in possession of cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage as she returned to the county to play basketball.

Griner was released on Dec. 8, 2022 in exchange for Viktor Bout, the “Merchant of Death,” or, one of the world’s most dangerous and infamous arms dealers.

Fogel remained in prison and continues to be today.

His mother spoke to The Post after learning about the prisoner swa on Thursday.

“I heard about it with pain on the news,” Malphine told The Post.

“I don’t think the administration is trying hard enough for him,” she added. “I guess because he is a common American citizen.”

While Malphine said she is happy for those who were released to their families, she cannot fathom why her son was not included.

She also called out Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, saying he “needs to be more forceful to get him designated unlawfully detained.”

Posted by Greg Wehner Share

4 hour(s) ago

Freed American prisoners to be greeted by Biden, Harris at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

Evan Gershkovich (Russian TV)

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to greet the Americans released by Russia in a prisoner swap on Thursday, when they arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at around 11:30 p.m.

Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza were released as part of a prisoner swap with Russia, after being unjustly imprisoned.

Gershkovich, a 32-year-old reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and accused of espionage.

Whelan was jailed in December 2018 for espionage-related charges that he and the U.S. government dispute.

In exchange for their release as well as the release of others, Russia received eight prisoners in U.S. custody.

The released prisoners were Vadim Krasikov from Germany; Artem Viktorovich Dultsev from Slovenia; Anna Valerevna Dultseva from Slovenia; Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin from Norway; Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov from Poland; Roman Seleznev from the U.S.; Vladislav Klyushin from the U.S.; and Vadim Konoshchenock from the U.S.

The freed Americans are currently on a plane headed for Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. When they arrive, both Biden and Harris are expected to greet them on the tarmac.

Posted by Greg Wehner Share

5 hour(s) ago

Kirby on swap being called ‘success’: No one’s ‘doing backflips over here’ for Russian assassin

White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby addressed criticism over the release of Russian assassinVadim Krasikov for three Americans and other political dissidents held by Russia.

Former Marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were released Thursday in a multi-nation prisoner swap in what’s being called the biggest prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia since the Cold War.

Krasikov, who was convicted of a 2019 murder, was freed by Germany in the prisoner swap and was seen embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow after returning home.

Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier, citing Newsweek, noted criticism that the prisoner exchange has been “hailed as a ‘success’ for Vladimir Putin.”

Kirby told Baier on “Special Report” the decision to release Krasikov took “a lot of moral courage” from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“Nobody’s delighted or doing backflips over here because Mr. Krasikov is now a free man. That’s what negotiations are all about. They require tough decisions, tough calls. The president was willing to make that tough call in order to get these — all these individuals, not just the Americans, all of them — released,” he said.

Read more about Kirby’s remarks on the prisoner swap.

Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report

Posted by Greg Wehner Share

6 hour(s) ago

VP Harris says 4 prisoners will return to their families, declines to answer questions

Vice President Kamala Harris (Bizuayehu Tesfaye)

Vice President Harris said all four of the American prisoners who were released Thursday will be reunited with their loved ones after being convicted in “sham trials” and sentenced to long prison terms.

When the Vice President was asked if she would be meeting the released prisoners, she ignored the question.

Three American citizens – Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva – and one American green-card holder –  Vladimir Kara-Murza – who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia were released from Russia in a prisoner swap on Thursday.

Harris released a statement on the prisoner swap just before boarding Air Force 2 on Thursday.

“As President Biden announced earlier today, Paul, Evan, Alsu and green card holder Vladimir were unjustly held in Russia and will soon be reunited with their loved ones,” Harris said. “Russian authorities arrested and convicted them in sham trials and sentenced them to long prison terms.

“This has been an appalling perversion of justice over many years, President Biden and I and our team have engaged in conflict, diplomatic locations to bring these wrongfully detained Americans home,” Harris continued. “We never stopped fighting for their release. And today, in spite of all of their suffering, it gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is finally over.”

She also spoke about Alexei Navalny, who would have been released as part of the deal had he not died in an Arctic prison in February. Harris said the exchange included the release of Russian political prisoners who worked with Navalny.

Harris told reporters she spoke with Navalny’s widow, Yulia, about the significance of the release of the prisoners.

“As I told her…the United States stands with all of those who are fighting for freedom in Russia,” Harris said.

After finishing her statement, one reporter shouted, “Will you be meeting Evan and Paul when they return?”

Harris did not answer the reporter’s question, but instead boarded Air Force 2.

Posted by Greg Wehner Share

6 hour(s) ago

Who was involved in Russia prisoner swap: An assassin, hacker, suspected spies and more

Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov who was sentenced to life in 2021 for the assassination of a Chechen-Georgian dissident in a Berlin park, in Berlin, Germany, August 1, 2024. (Reuters)

Russia received eight criminals in a historic prisoner swap that saw a total of 24 detainees released in a complex deal involving seven nations, including the U.S. and Germany.

Here is a look at the faces of evil that were allowed to return to Russia in the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War:

Vadim Krasikov

The top pick on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wish list for the swap was hit man Vadim Krasikov, who used the alias Vadim Sokolov. He was convicted by a German court for the 2019 assassination of a former Chechen commander near Berlin’s parliamentary building.

He apparently carried out the assassination on the orders of Moscow’s security services.

Read more about the other Russian prisoners who were released by the U.S.

Fox News’ Stepheny Price and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.

Posted by Greg Wehner Share

7 hour(s) ago

Biden spoke with each American prisoner before connecting them with their families

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said each family of the American prisoners who were released by Russia on Thursday, was given the opportunity to speak with their loved ones by phone, from the Oval Office.

“The president invited the family members in at the moment that we received the word from the tarmac in Ankara that the exchange was complete, and he was able to give them the news directly that the exchange was, in fact, complete,” Sullivan said.

He continued, saying three of the released prisoners  –  Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva – were in one place while American green-card holder, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was in another place.

President Biden then conducted two calls from the Oval Office. The first call was with the three American citizens. During the call, Biden said on behalf of the American people, he was proud to have them out of Russian prisons.

Biden then quickly turned the phone over to the family members, each of which got the chance to speak with their loved one.

After the first call, the president conducted a second call with Kara-Muraz, Sullivan said, in which he was able to speak with his wife, one of their daughters and their son.

“He also got to reminisce on the fact that they were both pallbearers together at John McCain’s…funeral,” Sullivan said of the President and Kara-Muraz.