Prisoner Exchange Between the West and Russia; Joe Biden: This Agreement is a 'Diplomatic Masterpiece'

With the official confirmation of a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia, the United States, and several other countries, Joe Biden called this event a 'diplomatic masterpiece' that has ended the 'suffering' of prisoners held in Russia. The U.S. President confirmed in a statement on Thursday, July 11, that three American citizens and one permanent resident of the United States, five Germans, and seven Russians were among the 16 individuals released by Russia. Biden stated that the agreement that guaranteed their freedom was a 'diplomatic masterpiece.' According to him, 'some of these women and men have been unjustly imprisoned for years. They have endured unimaginable suffering and despair, but today, this torment has ended.' On Thursday, following the announcement of these citizens' release from Russia and on the verge of their return, the U.S. President met with several family members in the White House. Earlier, several American and British media outlets had reported on this exchange. CNN, Bloomberg, and Sky News reported that in recent days, nine Russian activists and one American citizen were suddenly taken out of Russian prisons, and the names of several Russian prisoners in the U.S. were also removed from prison databases. These recent events have increased speculation about a major prisoner exchange between Russia, the United States, and several European countries. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, also commented on the prisoner exchange, saying, 'Prisoners have not been exchanged in this manner and in such numbers since the Cold War, and as far as we know, there has not been such constructive cooperation among close partners and allies of the United States working together for the release of prisoners.' Earlier, Steven Kapes, President and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, stated in a statement released on Thursday that the media welcomes the imminent release of Alsu Kormashova, a journalist for Radio Free Europe, and is grateful to the U.S. government and all those who have tirelessly worked to end Russia's unfair treatment of this journalist. He noted the cases of Ihar Losik and Andrei Kuznichik in Belarus, and Vladislav Yesipenko in Crimea, adding, 'To the three other Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists who are unjustly imprisoned - two in Belarus and one in Crimea under Russian control - we say you have not been forgotten. We will do everything we can to secure your freedom and return you to your families.' Shortly after, Mr. Kapes confirmed that he could share the 'good news' that Ms. Kormashova has 'finally been released.' From left: Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kormashova, and Paul Whelan, after their release and exit from Russia. Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist, and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, are among those released from Russia in this exchange. Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, stated that Moscow hopes that the released prisoners and those who have left Russia will stay away from the country. He added regarding this exchange: 'All enemies of Russia should remain outside the country, and all those who are not enemies and are our friends should return to Russia. This is my view.' Germany confirmed that it has released Vadim Krasykov, a Russian citizen who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering a Chechen citizen in Berlin in 2019. Stephen Hebstreit, a spokesman for the German government, said on Thursday following the large-scale prisoner exchange that 'the release of a convicted murderer in a prisoner exchange with Russia is not an easy decision at all.' He stated that the decision to return Vadim Krasykov to Russia, who was imprisoned for the assassination of a former Chechen rebel commander, was due to Berlin's responsibility towards German citizens and solidarity with the United States. The German government spokesman also called on Russia and Belarus to release all political prisoners. Before reports about the prisoner exchange were published, defense lawyers for several prominent figures in Russian prisons announced that they were unaware of the whereabouts of their clients; a situation that often occurs during prisoner transfers. Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin, among the opposition activists, are among these individuals. Olga Karlova, Paul Whelan's lawyer, stated on Wednesday, July 10, that she was unaware of her client's whereabouts and that prison officials in the Mordovia region, where he was imprisoned, had ignored requests to confirm his presence in prison. Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage, was one of at least 10 American citizens imprisoned in Russia. Both he and the U.S. government have denied the espionage charges. American citizens have been accused or convicted of various charges in Russia, ranging from drug possession and theft to treason and espionage. In many cases, the charges against these Americans, including Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, and Alsu Kormashova, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist, have been deemed fabricated or overtly political by their employers or the U.S. government. Some of the sentences issued are significantly heavier than what legal experts typically consider. Previously, a Russian court sentenced Alsu Kormashova, a veteran journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who holds dual citizenship in Russia and the U.S., to six and a half years in prison for 'spreading false information about the Russian army.' Ms. Kormashova, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the U.S. government have rejected this charge, stating that her arrest and trial are politically motivated. At the same time, the names of four Russian citizens who have been accused or imprisoned in the United States have been removed from the Federal Bureau of Prisons database. These individuals include Vladislav Klyushin, a technology entrepreneur linked to the Kremlin who is serving a multi-year sentence for insider trading, and Alexander Vinnik, who recently confessed to money laundering and was free until sentencing. The largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War occurred in 2010, involving 14 individuals. In this exchange, the United States released 10 Russian citizens, including Anna Chapman, while Russia released four individuals, including Sergei Skripal, a Russian military intelligence officer convicted of espionage for Britain.