Prisoner swap: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris greet U.S. prisoners

Largest post-Soviet prisoner swap between U.S. and Russia results in emotional homecoming for freed Americans.

The United States (the U.S.) and Russia completed a 24-person prisoner swap on August 1, the largest in post-Soviet history, with Moscow releasing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.

Three freed Americans arrived at an Air Force Base outside Washington late at night to an emotional welcome from their families, President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.

It's the latest exchange between Washington and Moscow in the past two years, following a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout. Russia meanwhile secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West.

On a warm, steamy night, the freed Americans lingered on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews to soak up the moment of their return to the U.S.

They took selfies with family members and friends, shared hugs with Mr. Biden and Kamala Harris, patted loved ones on the back and smothered them with kisses. At one point, Mr. Biden gave Paul Whelan the flag pin off his own lapel. President Joe Biden said it “feels wonderful” to welcome the freed Americans to U.S. soil.

And he gave giving special credit to the cooperation of nations including Germany and Slovenia for helping to make the global prisoner swap work, saying they agreed to difficult things that were “against their self-interests.”

Speaking on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, Mr. Biden rejected the idea that such swaps could lead to other Americans being detained. “I don’t buy this idea of ... let these people rot in jail because other people may be captured,” the President said.