A prisoner swap on Thursday among seven countries freed the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans held in Russia, along with several jailed Russian dissidents, in a deal whose size and complexity has no parallel in the post-Soviet era.
The trade freed 15 people imprisoned by Russia and one by its ally Belarus, in return for eight held in Western countries, including a convicted assassin and several held as Russian spies.
The deal, culminating a long and elaborate web of negotiations behind the scenes, delivered a diplomatic victory for President Biden, who has long pledged to bring home imprisoned Americans and to support Russia’s ruthlessly repressed democracy advocates, journalists and war critics.
“Their brutal ordeal is over, and they’re free,” Mr. Biden said at the White House, speaking of the freed Americans, whose relatives flanked him.
“Moments ago, their families and I were able to speak to them on the phone from the Oval Office,” he said, and he wished them “welcome almost home.”
Persons:
Evan Gershkovich, Biden, Russia’s, “, Mr, ”
Organizations:
Wall Street, White House
Locations:
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, United States, Kyiv
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