Three U.S. citizens, including journalist Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan, have been released from Russian prisons as part of a major multinational prisoner exchange involving 24 people from six different nations. Gershkovich, arrested in 2023 and convicted of espionage in a widely condemned trial, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan, arrested in 2018 and also convicted of espionage, had been serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony. The U.S. has denied the charges against him, and he had been excluded from two previous prisoner exchanges.
The prisoner exchange also includes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., a dual Russian-British national and U.S. permanent resident, who were both released from Russian custody. The prisoners were flown to Turkey before heading home, marking a rare example of cooperation between the U.S. and Russia amid heightened political tensions. This exchange comes after strained relations between the two countries, including sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and previous incidents of interference and annexation.
Notable figures released as part of the swap include Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed in Germany for the murder of a former Chechen separatist in Berlin, and an intelligence operative facing charges of smuggling U.S. technology and ammunition to the Russian military. Meanwhile, Germany released 12 prisoners, most of whom were connected to the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison following a struggle against official corruption and President Vladimir Putin’s government. The Biden administration had been working on this swap since December 2022, following the exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner for Russian arms dealer Victor Bout earlier that year.
Critics have raised concerns about the risks of exchanging wrongfully detained Americans for Russian prisoners, with some fearing that it may encourage foreign adversaries to use Americans as bargaining chips in future negotiations. The discussions for this swap involved multiple offers with Russia, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan playing key roles in reaching out to Russian and German counterparts. A breakthrough came in January 2024 when President Biden spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about a potential swap that included Navalny and Krasikov.
Overall, this prisoner exchange marks a significant moment in international relations, as it showcases rare cooperation between nations with strained ties. As the U.S. citizens return home and other prisoners are released, the details of the deal and its implications will continue to unfold in the coming days.
