‘Feat of diplomacy’ to ‘enemies should stay abroad’: Here is how world reacted to US-Russia prisoner swap

Here is international reaction to Thursday’s East-West prisoner exchange:

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Wall Street Journal editor Emma Tucker, whose correspondent Evan Gershkovich was included in the exchange, said the swap “done in a trade for Russian operatives guilty of serious crimes was predictable as the only solution given President (Vladimir) Putin’s cynicism.

“We are grateful to President (Joe) Biden and his administration for working with persistence and determination to bring Evan home rather than see him shipped off to a Russian work camp for a crime he didn’t commit.”

“The ordeal of Evan and the other returnees – along with those Americans still being wrongfully detained around the world – demonstrates the urgent need for a change in the dynamics to prevent the future seizure of innocent hostages,” Tucker added.

The WSJ newsroom after Emma Tucker announced Evan Gershkovich had been released pic.twitter.com/yoEQRNWIr6

— Vaughn Sterling (@vplus) August 1, 2024

UNITED STATES

President Biden said the exchange was “a feat of diplomacy and friendship” and praised Washington’s allies for their “bold and brave decisions”.

In a statement following the news, President Biden described the release of the three American citizens and one American green card holder—Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza—as a “feat of diplomacy.” He emphasised that their imprisonment in Russia was “unjust.”

“All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia – including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country. Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.”

In this image made from video provided by Russian Federal Security Service via RTR on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, center,is escorted by a Russian Federal Security Service agent, left, as they arrive at an airport outside Moscow, Russia. (Russian Federal Security Service/RTR via AP)

“This would not have been possible without our allies,” he said, adding: “Today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world.”

Shortly after, Biden spoke from the White House, surrounded by the families of the freed prisoners.

“This is a very good afternoon,” the president remarked, noting that he and the family members had been able to speak to the released prisoners by phone.

Later, Biden also shared a photo of the newly freed Americans on a plane leaving Russia.

The US president wrote on X, “After enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty, the Americans detained in Russia are safe, free, and have begun their journeys back into the arms of their families.”

After enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty, the Americans detained in Russia are safe, free, and have begun their journeys back into the arms of their families. pic.twitter.com/1rYNBTt9tJ

— President Biden (@POTUS) August 1, 2024

Kamala Harris, Vice President and leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, echoed Biden’s sentiments, stating: “I will not stop working until every American who is wrongfully detained or held hostage is brought home.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump criticised the Biden administration’s prisoner exchange with Russia on Truth Social, labelling American negotiators as “an embarrassment”.

In his post, Trump questioned whether the US had paid cash for the releases, a claim National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan firmly denied. He also inquired if the US was exchanging “murderers, killers, or thugs.”

Trump, who often highlights his success in securing the release of Americans held abroad, contrasted his achievements with the Biden administration’s efforts.

“Our ‘negotiators’ are always an embarrassment to us!” Trump wrote. “They’re calling the trade ‘complex’ – that’s so nobody can figure out how bad it is!”

Former President, Barack Obama has described today’s exchange as a “tremendous diplomatic achievement” and noted the “skill and persistence” of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and US allies.

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in a post on X said, “Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva are on their way to the United States to reunite with their families.”

“I’m grateful for all of those who worked to secure their freedom and for our allies and partners who made this deal possible,” he added.

RUSSIA

President Vladimir Putin welcomed the returning ex-prisoners at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, meeting them on the tarmac as they descended from their plane. Putin greeted each returnee with a brief embrace before they proceeded to the terminal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center back to a camera, greets released Russian prisoners upon their arrival at the Vnukovo government airport outside Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. The United States and Russia have made their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history. (Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Inside, Putin made a short address, stating, “You will all be nominated for state awards. We will meet again to discuss your future. For now, I congratulate you on your return to your homeland.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, greets released Russian prisoners and relatives at the Vnukovo government airport outside Moscow, Russia, Aug. 1, 2024. (Kirill Zykov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The Kremlin, speaking on the day of the exchange, said it hoped those who had left Russia, whom it described as “enemies”, would stay away, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying he hoped to comment on the exchange later on the day.

“I believe that all our enemies should stay there (abroad), and all those who are not our enemies should return. That’s my point of view,” TASS cited Peskov as saying.

In the statement, the Kremlin said it was grateful to all countries that helped prepare the swap, and to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for releasing German national Rico Krieger.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev commented on the prisoner exchange with the West on Thursday, stating that while traitors to Russia should remain imprisoned, it was more advantageous for Moscow to secure the return of its citizens.

“And let the traitors now feverishly adopt new identities and actively seek protection under witness protection programmes,” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel.

Germany said the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted of the murder in 2019 of a former Chechen militant in Berlin, was “not an easy decision”.

“Our obligation to protect German nationals and our solidarity with the USA were important motivations,” the government said in a statement.

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, has said that “every released political prisoner is a huge victory and a reason to celebrate”.

In a statement on X, she stressed, “We still have to fight for: Daniel Kholodny, Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, Igor Sergunin. We will do everything we can to secure their release. Freedom for all political prisoners!”

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has issued a statement expressing his relief and support following the release of several prisoners by Russia:

“I strongly welcome the news that Russia has released a number of prisoners today. I am especially relieved that British nationals Vladimir Kara-Murza and Paul Whelan will soon be reunited with their families. Mr. Kara-Murza, a steadfast critic of Putin’s regime, should never have been imprisoned. The Russian authorities detained him under life-threatening conditions simply for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. I commend his family’s bravery in the face of such adversity and look forward to speaking with him soon. Paul Whelan and his family have endured an unimaginable ordeal. I am eager to speak with him as he returns home to his family in the United States after more than five years in detention.”

Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, also welcomed the release of the 16 people “unjustly jailed by the Russian regime”.

“Alsu, Evan, Paul, Vladimir and others, you belong home with your families and loved ones! The EU “will continue supporting and standing for all those illegally detained in Russia and elsewhere”, he wrote in a post on X.

Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, confirmed that today’s prisoner exchange includes Mikhail Mikushin, a suspected senior Russian military intelligence officer who was arrested in Norway in 2022.

“The exchange has been made possible through extensive international cooperation,” Støre said in a statement, as reported by the Associated Press.

“For the Norwegian authorities, it has been important to contribute in such cooperation with our close allies. A close collaboration across several countries has made this possible,” he added.

Poland‘s Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed gratitude to Polish President Andrzej Duda and the Polish security services for their role in the successful prisoner exchange.

The polish authorities released Pavel Rubtsov, who has been known since his arrest more than two years ago as Pablo Gonzalez, a journalist working for Spanish media.

“The operation has just concluded, resulting in the release of Russian opposition figures and NATO citizens detained in Russia,” Tusk wrote on X. “This achievement was made possible by our state’s involvement. I extend my thanks to the President and our services for their exemplary cooperation.”