America in Brief: Russia Swap Prisoners Back on US Soil

‘The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship. Multiple countries helped get this deal,’ President Biden said.

Former prisoners released by Russia, U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich (R), former U.S. marine Paul Whelan (C), and U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (L) stand after landing at Joint Base San Antonio-Kelly Field, Texas, on Aug. 2, 2024. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

Three Americans including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan returned to American soil late Aug. 1 after an extensive prisoner swap with Russia.

A total of 24 prisoners have been exchanged as a result of negotiations between eight countries, including Turkey who acted as the mediator in what has been described as the largest prisoner swap between East and West since the cold war.