Russia prisoner swap LIVE: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, & Alsu Kurmasheva land in the US and reunite with loved ones

Biden hails 'feat of diplomacy and friendship'

The White House said it negotiated the trade with Russia, Germany and three other countries.

The deal, worked on in secrecy for more than a year, involved 24 prisoners - 16 moving from Russia to the West and eight sent back to Russia from the West.

They included Vadim Krasikov, convicted of murdering an exiled dissident in Berlin, the German government said.

US President Joe Biden hailed the deal as "a feat of diplomacy and friendship" and praised Washington's allies for their "bold and brave decisions."

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, buoyed by the occasion, greeted freed Americans Gershkovich, Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, as well as Russian dissident and US resident Vladimir Kara-Murza, as they arrived at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, shortly before midnight (4am GMT).

The president took off his lapel pin and gave it to Whelan as he got off the Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft.

How the world reacted to the historic deal

Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal editor Emma Tucker, whose correspondent Evan Gershkovich was included in the exchange, said the swap "done in a trade for Russian operatives guilty of serious crimes was predictable as the only solution given President (Vladimir) Putin's cynicism.

"We are grateful to President (Joe) Biden and his administration for working with persistence and determination to bring Evan home rather than see him shipped off to a Russian work camp for a crime he didn't commit."

United States

President Biden said the exchange was "a feat of diplomacy and friendship" and praised Washington's allies for their "bold and brave decisions".

This would not have been possible without our allies," he said, adding: "Today is a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world."

Yulia Navalnaya

Many of those freed had worked with the late Alexei Navalny, Russia's leading opposition figure. His widow Yulia Navalnaya said the releases were "a great happiness".

"Every released political prisoner is a huge victory and joy. No one should be held hostage by Putin, tortured and die in Putin's prison," she wrote on X.

Germany

Germany said the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted of the murder in 2019 of a former Chechen militant in Berlin, was "not an easy decision".

"Our obligation to protect German nationals and our solidarity with the USA were important motivations," the government said in a statement.

Russia

The Kremlin, speaking on the day of the exchange, said it hoped those who had left Russia, whom it described as "enemies", would stay away, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

Former president Dmitry Medvedev: "Let the traitors now feverishly pick up new names and actively disguise themselves under witness protection programmes."

Lammy 'relieved' Brits released

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "I strongly welcome the news that Russia has released a number of prisoners today, and am particularly relieved that British nationals Vladimir Kara-Murza and Paul Whelan will soon be reunited with their families.

"Mr Kara-Murza is a dedicated opponent of Putin's regime. He should never have been in prison in the first place: the Russian authorities imprisoned him in life-threatening conditions because he courageously told the truth about the war in Ukraine.

"I pay tribute to his family's courage in the face of such hardship and hope to speak to him soon.

"Paul Whelan and his family have also experienced an unimaginable ordeal. I look forward to speaking to him as he returns home to his family in the United States after over five years in detention."

Starmer welcomes release

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer

posted on X saying: "I welcome the release of a number of prisoners held in Russia, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich.

"My thoughts are with them and their loved ones as they are reunited.

"We will continue to call on Russia to uphold freedom of political expression."

Two Brits freed

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have welcomed the prisoner swap between Russia and the West which has seen British nationals Vladimir Kara-Murza and Paul Whelan released.

Among those released by Moscow are Mr Whelan, a corporate security executive with joint British nationality from Michigan, who has been jailed since 2018 on espionage charges he and Washington have denied.

Also freed was Mr Kara-Murza, who has joint Russian and British nationality and is a Kremlin critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who was serving 25 years on charges of treason - widely seen as politically motivated.

Mr Whelan was designated as wrongfully detained following his arrest in December 2018 after he had travelled to Russia for a wedding.

He was serving a 16-year sentence.

Their release comes as part of the biggest prisoner swap between the US and Russia in post-Soviet history.

Putin welcomes Russians freed in prisoner swap

President Vladimir Putin gave Russian nationals freed in an historic prisoner exchange with the West a hero's welcome on Thursday as they stepped off a plane in Moscow, promising them state awards and a conversation about their futures.

Eight people were returned to Russia as part of the biggest East-West prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War, including Vadim Krasikov, a hitman convicted by a German court of killing a former Chechen militant in a Berlin park, and two men convicted of cyber crimes in the United States, Vladislav Klyushin and Roman Seleznyov.

Inside the airport building, Putin, who looked visibly pleased, told the returnees:

"First of all, I would like to congratulate you all on your return to the Motherland.

"Now I would like to address those of you who have a direct connection to military service. I want to thank you for your loyalty to your oath and your duty to your Motherland, which has never forgotten you for a moment.

"All of you will be presented with state awards. I will see you again, we will talk about your future."

Griner welcomes release of Americans in prisoner swap

US basketball player Brittney Griner, who was released from detention in Russia in a prisoner swap in 2022, has welcomed the return of Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan in a similar deal on Thursday.

Journalist Gershkovich and former US Marine Whelan were released by Russia as part of the biggest East-West prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War.

"It's a great day, great day. I'm head over heels happy for the families right now. Every day that the Americans come home, that's a victory," Griner told reporters after playing in Team USA's win against Belgium at the Olympics in Lille on Thursday.

"I found out through some people and, yeah, it was definitely emotional. I'm sure it will be emotional even more a little bit later on. Yeah, I'm just happy, like this is a big win. A huge win."

Griner, who had played professionally in Russia, was detained in a Moscow airport with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

The player had a prescription in the United States for medical marijuana and pleaded guilty to charges of possessing and smuggling illegal drugs but insisted she had made an "honest mistake".

After 10 months in detention, she was released from one of Russia's most notorious penal colonies in exchange for the arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The imbalance in participants

In prisoner exchanges over the past few years, the US government has released criminals convicted of significant crimes, including drug and weapons traffickers and a Taliban drug lord.

The latest deal was no exception, with the US and Western allies agreeing to hand back to Russia criminals regarded as properly charged and convicted.

The most notable example of that, by far, was Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in the August 23, 2019, killing of Zelimkhan Tornike Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and later claimed asylum in Germany.

At Krasikov's sentencing to life in prison in 2021, German judges said he had acted on the orders of Russian authorities, who gave him a false identity, passport and the resources to carry out the killing.

Throughout the course of negotiations, Russia remained adamant about getting Krasikov back, making it clear that he topped the wish list.

Putin hinted earlier this year that he was interested in such a trade to free a patriot held in Germany.

By contrast, the Americans and Europeans released by Russia include people who were either designated by the US as wrongfully detained like Gershkovich and Whelan or generally regarded as held on baseless charges.

"Deals like this one come with tough calls," Biden said but added: "There's nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad."

The Americans left behind

Though Thursday's deal involves the most well-known of the Americans held in Russia, including two who have been formally designated as wrongfully detained, there are still several others who remain.

That group includes Travis Leake, a musician convicted on drug charges and sentenced to prison; Gordon Black, an American soldier convicted of stealing and making threats of murder; Marc Fogel, a teacher also sentenced on drug charges; and Ksenia Khavana, who was arrested in Yekaterinburg in February on treason charges, accused of collecting money for Ukraines military.

Khavana had returned to Russia to visit family.

The owner of the spa in California where Khavana had been working previously said that Khavana actually was collecting funds for humanitarian aid.

In a statement after the deal was announced, Fogel's family said it was inconceivable that he had not been included and urged the Biden administration to prioritize his release.

A senior administration official, who briefed reporters before the swap on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said the administration would be redoubling its efforts to get remaining Americans home.

Who was freed

The 24 people some prominent, some not included a collection of journalists and political dissidents, suspected spies, a computer hacker and a fraudster.

Even a man convicted of murder.

Russia released 16 people, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan.

Both were facing long prison sentences after being convicted in Russia's heavily politicised legal system of espionage charges that the US government called baseless.

Also freed by Moscow was Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual US-Russian citizen convicted in July of spreading false information about the Russian military accusations her family and employer have rejected and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer serving 25 years on charges of treason widely seen as politically motivated.

The most infamous of the eight people Russia got back is Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in Germany in 2021 of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow's security services.

It also received two alleged sleeper agents who were jailed in Slovenia, three men charged by federal authorities in the US and two men returned from Norway and Poland.

Tears of joy

Tears of joy flowed in the Oval Office the moment families of prisoners such as Evan Gershkovich, freed by Russia in the biggest such swap since the Cold War, first spoke by telephone to their loved ones, a White House video showed on Thursday.

"This is momma. Do you hear me? It's your mom," Gershkovich's mother tells her son, a Wall Street Journal reporter, in the emotional two-minute video of the virtual reunion, posted by President Joe Biden's social media account on X.

"We just want to say how overwhelmed we are," Biden tells the released detainees as the families stand around the presidential Resolute Desk. "You've been wrongfully detained for a long time, and we are glad you are home."

Russia freed Gershkovich, ex-US Marine Paul Whelan and others on Thursday as part of the elaborate multi-country exchange that the White House said involved 24 prisoners, including Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov, released by Germany.

"Every parent, child, spouse and loved one who joined me in the Oval Office today has been praying for this day for a long time," Biden posted about the deal, which was negotiated in secrecy for more than a year.

Back on US soil

Three newly freed Americans are back on US soil after a landmark prisoner exchange with Russia.

Journalist Evan Gershkovich, corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with dual US-Russia citizenship, arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland hortly before midnight Thursday for a joyful reunion with their families.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were also there to greet them.

The three Americans were part of the biggest U.S.-Russian prisoner swap in post-Soviet history.

Officials say the multinational deal officials has set two dozen people free,

WSJ editor calls it a 'joyous day'

Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker has called it a "joyous day" after reporter Evan Gershkovich was freed.

In an open letter posted on X, formerly Twitter, she said: "Today is a joyous day. There are many people who played a part in the safe return of our colleague Evan Gershkovich, and today I thank them wholeheartedly.

"My greatest thanks, though, must go to Evan himself.";

Emotional reunions

The White House posted an emotional two-minute video of the moment the families of the U.S.-bound detainees spoke to their loved ones by phone from the Oval Office.

"This is Momma. Do you hear me? It's your mom," Gershkovich's mother tells her son in the clip, posted on Biden's social media account on the X platform.

Hours later, Gershkovich scooped her up and lifted her in the air as they met on the tarmac while other family members cheered for joy.

Critics fear 'dangerous message'

The multi-country deal appeared to be a one-time exchange that does not reset the antagonistic U.S.-Russia relationship, which has deteriorated sharply since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said Washington-Moscow ties remain "in a very difficult place" despite the swap. "There was no trust involved in this relationship or negotiation," Finer told broadcaster CNN.

Critics said freeing Russians convicted of serious crimes could encourage more hostage-taking by U.S. foes.

"I remain concerned that continuing to trade innocent Americans for actual Russian criminals held in the U.S. and elsewhere sends a dangerous message to Putin that only encourages further hostage-taking by his regime," Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.

Trump, who said he did not have details of the swap, asked whether "murderers, killers, or thugs" were released. "Just curious because we never make good deals, at anything, but especially hostage swaps," the presidential nominee said on social media.

Also involved in the deal were Belarus, Norway, Poland and Slovenia. Turkey coordinated the exchange.

The Kremlin said in a statement its decision to pardon and free prisoners "was made with the aim of returning Russian citizens detained and imprisoned in foreign countries."

The last major exchange between the United States and Russia, in 2010, involved 14 prisoners.

The two countries had a high-profile exchange in December 2022, swapping U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner - sentenced to nine years for vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage - for arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was serving a 25-year sentence.

Evan Gershkovich's family releases a statement

Evan Gershkovich's family released earlier today that read, "We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like. We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close.

"Most important now is taking care of Evan and being together again. No family should have to go through this, and so we share relief and joy today with Paul and Alsu’s families.

"We are grateful to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Chancellor Scholz and every US or foreign government official who helped get Evan released.

"Our family has felt so much love and support from Evan’s fellow journalists, his wonderful friends, and many, many people around the world. It made a difference to Evan and to us.

"And we especially thank Evan’s colleagues at Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. They have taken care of Evan and our entire family since the beginning, and we are forever grateful.”

Yula Navalnaya releases statement

Alexei Navalny's widow, Yula Navalnaya, released on her X account about the prison swam.

She included a list of the Russians who were released and wrote, "It was a huge, long, and very difficult work, with negotiations spanning several years. In February, many different people came together for another attempt to save them all.

"And now, they are all free. It's a joy to know them all out of captivity. Every released political prisoner is a huge victory and a reason to celebrate. No one should be held hostage by Putin, subjected to torture, or left to die in his prisons."

Turkey acts as mediator

The Turkish National Intelligence Organization released a statement on its involvement in the prisoner swap.

Turkey has maintained ties with Russia since the country invaded Ukraine and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan helped coordinate the swap.

Turkey has not imposed sanctions or suspended flights to and from Russia.