Biden administration claims responsibility for releasing Americans held captive in Russia: "Classic Joe Biden"

On Thursday, Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser, praised President Biden for the safe return of Evan Gershkovich and other Americans who were wrongfully detained in Russia.

At the daily White House press briefing, the Biden-Harris administration announced a massive swap of political prisoners between the United States and Russia, and Sullivan took the podium.

According to Sullivan, today's exchange is a remarkable diplomatic achievement that could only have been accomplished by a leader like Joe Biden and under his guidance.

Gershkovich, Whelan, Kurmasheva, Kara-Murza, and 12 others were released from Russian custody. Biden was personally involved in diplomatic efforts to bring them home, having multiple conversations with Scholz and leaders of other countries who provided Russian prisoners for the exchange.

On Sunday, July 21, the White House confirmed that Biden had a call with Slovenia's prime minister to finalize the deal.

The president's revitalized alliances worldwide have not been definitively proven to enhance the safety and security of Americans, and there is no concrete evidence to demonstrate their significance to individual Americans. We are grateful to our allies for their support in the intricate negotiations that led to this outcome, as Sullivan stated.

Biden thanked the leaders of Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey for their role in the deal, as he stated this during his speech.

According to Sullivan, this was vintage Joe Biden, rallying American allies to save American citizens and Russian freedom fighters, and doing it with intricate statecraft, pulling his whole team together to drive this across the finish line. The president maintained regular contact with the families of those detained as he worked for their release.

On March 29, 2023, Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip and was charged with espionage. The Biden administration labeled him as "wrongfully detained," while The Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government strongly denied the accusations, calling them preposterous.

Turkish intelligence officials reportedly played a crucial role in negotiating Whelan's release from Russian custody.

Biden's objective has consistently been to prioritize the families going through an unbearable hardship, according to Sullivan.

We've maintained consistent communication with them from the president to the bottom. I spent a considerable amount of time with the families of Evan, Paul, and Alsu, and most of the conversations were difficult. However, today, he said, his voice filled with emotion.

"We had a great day today, and we'll build upon it."

Trump weighed in on Truth Social, demanding to know the details of the prisoner exchange as Sullivan spoke.

Trump asked: "What is the difference between the number of people we have and those they have? Do they pay us cash? Are they giving us cash? (Please remove this question because I am certain the answer is no). Are we releasing murderers, killers, or thugs?"

"The Republican presidential nominee stated, "We never make good deals, especially in hostage swaps. Our negotiators are always a disgrace to us. I have successfully released many hostages, but gave the opposing country nothing in return. This sets a bad precedent for the future. It's time to put an end to this situation. They are extorting the United States of America. They call the trade 'complex' to confuse people. It's time to expose the truth!""

No money or sanctions relief was tied to the prisoner exchange, as Sullivan informed reporters.

He argued that freeing innocents is worth the price, as he also addressed concerns that the prisoner exchange could incentivize U.S. adversaries to wrongfully detain more Americans.

"Sending back a convicted criminal to secure the release of an innocent American is challenging. However, sometimes the decision is between doing that or condemning the person to live out their days in a hostile foreign country or in the hands of a hostile power," Sullivan stated.

"We have evaluated and determined that the benefit of reuniting Americans and returning people home, as well as validating the notion that the American president and government will take necessary measures to safeguard and liberate innocent Americans, outweighs the associated risk."