{"id":2317528,"date":"2024-08-01T13:17:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T17:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-and-russia-agree-to-largest-prisoner-swap-since-cold-war-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-01T13:51:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T17:51:08","slug":"west-and-russia-agree-to-largest-prisoner-swap-since-cold-war-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/west-and-russia-agree-to-largest-prisoner-swap-since-cold-war-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"West and Russia agree to largest prisoner swap since Cold War &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwest-and-russia-agree-to-largest-prisoner-swap-since-cold-war-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2317528&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Several countries, including the United States, have \u2063successfully negotiated a significant \u200dprisoner swap with Russia, marking the largest such \u200dagreement since the Cold War. President \u200bJoe Biden announced that the U.S. secured the \u2062release \u200bof\u200c 16 individuals, notably four American citizens: Wall Street Journal\u2063 reporter Evan Gershkovich, Radio Free\u2062 Europe journalist \u2063Alsu Kurmasheva, dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, and former Marine Paul Whelan. \u200dThe negotiations involved Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Turkey, \u200dand Russia.<\/p>\n<p>In return,\u2064 the U.S. released three Russians, along with agreements from Norway and Slovenia to release additional Russian nationals. The exchanges highlight the \u200bcomplex diplomatic\u200d efforts surrounding the release of political\u200c prisoners,\u200d particularly\u2064 under \u200cthe strained U.S.-Russia relations. Although the released Americans\u2063 expressed relief, they also\u2064 acknowledged\u2062 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seattle-dismantles-blm-garden-that-attracted-homelessness-and-drug-use\/\" title=\"Seattle removes BLM garden due to homelessness and drug issues\">challenging circumstances surrounding<\/a> their \u2064detentions\u200c and \u2063the ongoing plight of others still imprisoned. Whelan, in particular, had been held since 2018 and received a 16-year sentence on spying charges, which he and the U.S.\u200c government have denied. The\u200c announcement also highlighted the \u200dongoing commitment of U.S.\u200c officials to secure the release of other wrongfully detained Americans worldwide.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">West and Russia agree to largest prisoner swap since Cold War<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1707549\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Several countries have agreed to a massive prisoner exchange deal in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Russia<\/a> has agreed to release several journalists and critics of the Kremlin it had detained in recent years. It is believed to be the largest prisoner swap involving Russia since the Cold War.<\/p>\n<p>President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a> announced Thursday that the United States has secured the release of 16 people, including four American citizens or residents: Evan Gershkovich, a <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em> reporter; Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty; Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian dissident; and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine.<\/p>\n<p>Biden spoke at the White House alongside the families of the Americans on their way home. <\/p>\n<p>The negotiations included Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey, in addition to the U.S. and Russia.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this Aug. 23, 2019, file photo, Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested for alleged spying in Moscow on Dec. 28, 2018, speaks while standing in a cage as he waits for a hearing in a courtroom in Moscow. (AP Photo\/Alexander Zemlianichenko)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;And let me be clear: I will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family,&rdquo; Biden said in a statement. &ldquo;My Administration has now brought home over 70 such Americans, many of whom were in captivity since before I took office.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The deal also released 12 German nationals and Russian political prisoners who will return to Germany, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/world\/live-news\/prisoner-swap-russia-us\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>CNN<\/a>. The 12 are Dieter Voronin, Kevin Lick, Rico Krieger, Patrick Schoebel, Herman Moyzhes, Ilya Yashin, Liliya Chanysheva, Kseniya Fadeyeva, Vadim Ostanin, Andrey Pivovarov, Oleg Orlov, and Sasha Skochilenko.<\/p>\n<p>The individuals released from Russia were flown to Turkey, where they will then return to their home countries.<\/p>\n<p>In exchange, the U.S. released three Russians: Vadim Konoshchenock, Vladislav Klyushin, and Roman Seleznev. Norway agreed to release Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin and Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov, Slovenia agreed to release Anna Valerevna Dultseva and Artem Viktorovich, and Germany agreed to release Vadim Krasikov.<\/p>\n<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin has long sought to secure the freedom of Krasikov, a former colonel from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-viral-x-image-does-not-show-israeli-settlers-trying-to-tear-palestinian-child-apart\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Viral X Image Does Not Show Israeli Settlers Trying To Tear Palestinian Child Apart\">country&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s domestic spy agency who was convicted of murdering a former Chechen fighter in Germany in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison.<\/p>\n<p>Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania resident who was charged with smuggling drugs and received a 14-year prison sentence in 2022, was not included in the deal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My pledge to the families of those still separated from their families is the same that I made to those returning home today,&rdquo; U.S. Secretary of State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antony-blinken\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Antony Blinken<\/a> said in a statement. &ldquo;We will not forget you, and we will not rest until you see your loved ones again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Whelan and Gershkovich were both arrested on claims that they were U.S. spies, which both they and the U.S. government adamantly rejected. They both received 16-year prison sentences &mdash; Whelan in 2020 and Gershkovich about two weeks ago. Whelan had been detained in Russia since late 2018 and is the longest-held American included in the deal.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty&rsquo;s Tatar-Bashkir service, attends a court hearing on May 31, 2024, in Kazan, Russia. (AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;We are overwhelmed with relief and elated for Evan and his family, as well as for the others who were released,&rdquo; Dow Jones CEO and&nbsp;<em>Wall&nbsp;Street&nbsp;Journal<\/em>&nbsp;Publisher Almar Latour and&nbsp;<em>Wall&nbsp;Street&nbsp;Journal<\/em>&nbsp;Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker said in a statement. &ldquo;At the same time, we condemn in the strongest terms Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s regime in Russia, which orchestrated Evan&rsquo;s 491-day wrongful imprisonment based on sham accusations and a fake trial as part of an all-out assault on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-whitmer-steps-in-after-dem-lawmaker-was-punished-for-intimidating-trump-supporters\/\" title=\"Gov. Whitmer Steps in After Dem Lawmaker Was Punished for Intimidating Trump Supporters\">free press<\/a> and truth. Unfortunately, many journalists remain unjustly imprisoned in Russia and around the world.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Whelan spent more than 2,000 days in Russian captivity. His family released a lengthy statement following the announcement of his inclusion in the deal, thanking a number of government leaders and advocates who have championed his case.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Paul Whelan is not in a Russian labor colony any longer, but he is not home,&rdquo; the family said. &ldquo;While Paul was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/escalating-tensions-between-russia-and-u-s-imperil-wrongfully-imprisoned-americans\/\" title=\"Escalating Tensions Between Russia and U.S. Imperil Wrongfully Imprisoned Americans\">wrongfully imprisoned<\/a> in Russia, he lost his home. He lost his job. We are unsure how someone overcomes these losses and rejoins society after being a hostage. We are grateful for everyone&rsquo;s efforts to help Paul while he was away.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kurmasheva, who is American and Russian but lives in Prague, was visiting her mother in Russia last year when she was detained. Her husband and two daughters traveled to Washington last month to advocate her release.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Today, my daughters and I are witnessing a historic act of resolve and compassion by the U.S. government and its allies, demonstrating that the free world values human life and family above all else, even when it means exchanging real criminals and spies to save wrongfully detained Americans,&rdquo; Pavel Butorin, Kurmasheva&rsquo;s husband, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. had agreed to two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dershowitz-biden-is-wrong-about-genocide-in-ukraine\/\" title=\"Dershowitz: Biden Is Wrong About &#039;Genocide&#039; in Ukraine\">prisoner exchanges<\/a> during the Biden administration ahead of Thursday&rsquo;s massive agreement. In 2022, the U.S. secured the release of Trevor Reed in exchange for Konstantin Yaroshenko and later got WNBA superstar Brittney Griner in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.<\/p>\n<p>Once Bout was released in the deal that secured the release of Griner, who is playing for Team USA in the Olympics, the U.S. did not have any high-level Russians in its prison system whom they could use to secure the release of Whelan, who was left behind in those deals. At that point, a U.S.-Russia hostage deal became more complicated, but Putin had a primary target in Krasikov.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1707549\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1707549\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>West and Russia reach historic prisoner exchange agreement<\/p>\n<p>A significant prisoner exchange deal has been reached among several nations, with Russia agreeing to free numerous journalists and Kremlin critics it had detained in recent years. This is considered the largest such swap involving Russia since the Cold War. On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. successfully negotiated the release of 16 individuals, including four American citizens or residents: Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal; Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist from Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty; Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian dissident; and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine. Biden made this announcement at the White House alongside families of those returning home.<\/p>\n<p>The negotiations involved Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Turkey as well as the U.S. and Russia. In an earlier court appearance on August 23, 2019 (file photo), Paul Whelan was seen waiting for his hearing in Moscow after being arrested on espionage charges on December 28, 2018 (AP Photo\/Alexander Zemlianichenko). <\/p>\n<p>Biden emphasized his commitment to securing freedom for all Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage globally: \u201cI will not stop working until every American is reunited with their family,\u201d he stated. His administration has facilitated the return of over 70 such Americans since he took office.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement also includes the release of 12 German nationals and Russian political prisoners who will be sent back to Germany according to CNN reports. Those released include Dieter Voronin and Ilya Yashin among others.<\/p>\n<p>In return for these releases from Russia\u2014who were flown to Turkey before heading home\u2014the U.S. freed three Russians: Vadim Konoshchenock, Vladislav Klyushin, and Roman Seleznev while Norway released Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin and Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov; Slovenia let go Anna Valerevna Dultseva along with Artem Viktorovich; Germany released Vadim Krasikov\u2014a former colonel convicted of murder in Germany.<\/p>\n<p>Notably absent from this deal was Marc Fogel\u2014a Pennsylvania resident sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug smuggling in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated support for families still separated from loved ones: \u201cWe will not forget you,\u201d he assured them.<\/p>\n<p>Whelan and Gershkovich were both accused by Russian authorities of being spies\u2014claims they have consistently denied\u2014and received lengthy prison sentences (Whelan in 2020; Gershkovich recently). Whelan has been imprisoned since late 2018 making him one of the longest-held Americans included in this exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Following news about Whelan&#8217;s inclusion in this deal his family expressed gratitude towards government officials who advocated on his behalf but also highlighted their concerns regarding how he would reintegrate into society after losing so much during captivity.<\/p>\n<p>Kurmasheva was visiting her mother when she was detained last year; her husband praised today\u2019s developments as evidence that human life is valued above all else\u2014even if it means negotiating with criminals or spies to secure freedom for wrongfully imprisoned individuals like his wife.<\/p>\n<p>Prior exchanges during Biden&#8217;s presidency included Trevor Reed\u2019s release last year traded against Konstantin Yaroshenko followed by Brittney Griner\u2019s swap involving arms dealer Viktor Bout\u2014but high-level Russians available for negotiation became scarce afterward complicating future deals especially concerning Whelan whose case remained unresolved until now amidst Putin&#8217;s focus on Krasikov<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2671,"featured_media":2317529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Evan_Gershkovich_298.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[36886,4280,3841],"class_list":["post-2317528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-prisoner-swap","tag-russia","tag-west"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Evan_Gershkovich_298.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2671"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2317528"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317528\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2317529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2317528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2317528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2317528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}