On Thursday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan credited President Biden for the successful return of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia.
Sullivan addressed the press during the daily White House briefing following the announcement of a significant political prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia.
“The exchange today represents a diplomatic achievement that truly could only have been realized under the leadership of Joe Biden and his guidance,” Sullivan conveyed to reporters.
American citizens Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan, and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were released from Russian detention, along with green-card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza and several others. Sullivan noted Biden’s “personal involvement” in the diplomatic negotiations to secure the release of these individuals, which included discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other leaders who assisted in providing Russian prisoners for the swap.
BIDEN CALLS RUSSIA PRISONER SWAP DEAL THAT FREED WSJ’S GERSHKOVICH, WHELAN A ‘FEAT OF DIPLOMACY’
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on August 1, 2024. The U.S. had been working on a deal that would have freed detained Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny when he died in Russian custody, the White House said Thursday. “We had been working with our partners on a deal that would have included Alexei Navalny, and unfortunately, he died,” Sullivan told journalists. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/ AFP) (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The White House confirmed that Biden spoke with the prime minister of Slovenia on Sunday, July 21, to finalize the deal.
“There is no clearer or more definite proof that the alliances that the president has revitalized globally are significant to the safety and security of Americans. We are immensely thankful to our allies who assisted us in these complicated negotiations to make this happen,” Sullivan stated.
He added that Biden has been reaching out to the leaders of Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey to express gratitude for their contributions in orchestrating the deal.
“This is quintessential Joe Biden: galvanizing American allies to rescue American citizens and Russian advocates for freedom while employing sophisticated diplomacy, pulling his entire team together to bring this to fruition,” Sullivan emphasized, highlighting that the president remained in regular contact with the families of the detained individuals throughout the negotiation process.
LIVE UPDATES: PRISONER SWAP DEAL WITH RUSSIA
Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Paul Whelan, who were detained in Russia, pose with a U.S. flag in celebration of their freedom in this undated photo obtained on August 1, 2024. (U.S. Government/Handout via REUTERS)
Gershkovich, 32, was arrested on March 29, 2023, while covering a report in the city of Yekaterinburg and faced allegations of espionage. The Biden administration labeled him as “wrongfully detained,” and both The Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government flatly rejected the charges, deeming them ludicrous.
Whelan has spent years in Russian custody. A reliable source informed Fox News that Turkish intelligence officials were instrumental in facilitating the prisoner swap.
“Biden has consistently prioritized the families first—those who are going through an unthinkable hardship,” Sullivan remarked about the president.
“From the top down, we maintained regular, routine communication with them. I spent considerable time with the families of Evan, Paul, and Alsu, and as you can imagine, those discussions are usually challenging. But not today,” he added, showing emotion.
WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH RELEASED BY RUSSIA IN PRISONER SWAP; PAUL WHELAN ALSO BEING FREED
U.S. President Joe Biden discusses the release of Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza during a brief event at the White House in Washington, August 1, 2024, with some of their relatives present. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
“Today signifies a very positive development, and we plan to build upon it.”
Meanwhile, as Sullivan spoke, former President Trump commented on Truth Social, inquiring about the specifics of the prisoner exchange.
Trump wrote: “How many people are we receiving in return? Are we also compensating them? Are they giving us any money (Please disregard that question, as I’m certain the answer is NO)? Are we releasing violent criminals or thugs?”
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“Just curious because we never secure good deals, particularly in hostage swaps,” the Republican presidential candidate continued. “Our ‘negotiators’ always seem to let us down! I managed to bring back many hostages without conceding anything to the other side – and I never paid them cash. Such actions set a poor precedent for the future. This is how it should be, or conditions will only worsen. They are extorting the United States. They’re labeling the transaction as ‘complex’ – so no one understands how detrimental it really is!”
Sullivan reassured reporters that no funds or sanctions easing were involved in the prisoner swap.
He addressed concerns about the potential encouragement for adversaries to wrongfully detain more Americans, emphasizing that securing the release of innocents is a justifiable cause.
“It can be challenging to negotiate the return of a convicted felon to secure the release of an innocent American. Yet, at times, the alternative is to resign that person to live out their existence in a hostile foreign prison, or in the hands of an adversarial state,” Sullivan said.
“From our perspective, we have carefully evaluated that risk and determined that the advantages of reuniting Americans and ensuring that the American president and government will take necessary measures to safeguard the release of innocent Americans greatly outweigh this risk.”
