In the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War, USA and several allied countries exchanged today with Russia 24 prisoners, including the American journalist Evan Gershkovich and the Spanish-Russian Pablo Gonzalezat Ankara airport and under the coordination of the Turkish secret services.
As confirmed by the White House and the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Moscow released 16 people: three US citizens and one person with legal residence in USAas well as five Germans and seven Russians, while USA and his allies released eight other people taken to prison Russiaalong with two minors, bringing the total number of those released to 26.
Turkish channel NTV reported that the prisoners were brought to the Turkish capital from seven countries: USA, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway y Russiabefore ten of them – including two minors – travelled to Russia after the exchange, which was coordinated by the Turkish secret services (WITH).
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholzsaid Thursday that the prisoner exchange came after “months of confidential talks,” and assured that the government will continue to fight for the release of all those who have been “unjustly” imprisoned in Russian and Belarusian jails.
“For several months now, the German Government, in close coordination with EUhas worked to find a solution for political prisoners unjustly imprisoned in Russia“, he said at the airport in the German city of Cologne.
The liberated ones
Among the detainees exchanged are, among others, the American journalist Evan Gershkovichof the Wall Street Journal; the Spanish-Russian journalist as well Pablo Gonzalezarrested in Poland; the American soldier Paul Whelan; German Rico Krieger, sentenced to death in Belarus, and Russian opposition leader Ilya Yashinas well as Vadim KrasikovFSB (former KGB) officer, imprisoned in Germany for the murder of a Chechen dissident.
Russian President, Vladimir Putinhad repeatedly suggested in recent months the possibility of exchanging Beauty by some prisoners in Russian jails.
USA confirmed that the negotiations initially contemplated the release of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnybut he died in a Russian prison last February.
Biden calls the exchange a “diplomatic feat”
The president of United States, Joe Bidendescribed the exchange of prisoners as a “diplomatic feat”, in which the US Administration had placed at the centre of the negotiations the release of Whelan and Gershkovich, correspondent in Russia of the Wall Street Journal.
“Some of these women and men have been unjustly detained for years. They have all endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over,” he said.
The Administration of Biden had placed the release of the prisoners at the centre of the negotiations. Whelanformer US Marine detained since December 2018, and the journalist Gershkovichfrom March 2023.
For his part, former US president and Republican candidate, Donald Trumpcriticized the historic prisoner exchange and accused Biden of making a “bad deal.”
“It’s funny because we never do good business, in anything, but even less so when it comes to hostage swaps. Our negotiators are always an embarrassment to us!” the New York tycoon said in a message on the social network Truth.
Russia insists that the released prisoners worked “in the interests of the United States”
The Federal Security Service also confirmed the release of eight Russians imprisoned in Western countries in exchange for 16 Russians and foreigners serving sentences in prisons in this country and stressed that the prisoners handed over by Moscow were working “in the interests of foreign states and to the detriment of the security of the Russian Federation.”
He FSB He added that the prisoner exchange was successful thanks to the “systematic and determined” work of the relevant Russian and foreign bodies.
Russian President, Vladimir Putinpersonally received the eight released prisoners today at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport.
In the images offered live by Russian television, it was possible to see how Putin first embraced at the foot of the plane’s stairs Vadim Krasikovthe Federal Security Service (FSB) agent sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany for murdering a Georgian citizen in 2019.
He then greeted the released prisoners one by one, and later met them at a private event in the airport building, where they had arrived from Ankarawhere the exchange took place.
Spanish-Russian journalist Pablo González among those transferred to Russia
As part of the exchange, the Spanish journalist Pablo Gonzalezimprisoned for more than two years and five months in Poland accused of espionage, he was released and transferred to Russiawhere he was born, his lawyer confirmed in Spain.
The note highlights that “humanitarian reasons have been paramount in this decision” and values the “genuine interest” shown by “the Russian authorities in finding a solution to this situation, while others – it claims – have focused mainly on criminalizing Pablo González.”
With residence in Spain and dual Spanish and Russian nationality, had been detained at the border Poland con Ukraine just days after the Russian invasion of the latter country began in February 2022.
The largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War
The last exchange between USA y Russia It occurred in December 2022, when the American Olympic basketball player Brittney Grinerwho was in a Russian prison accused of drug trafficking, was exchanged for the arms dealer Viktor Boutwho was in prison in USA for 12 years.
The first spy exchange during the Cold War took place in February 1962 in Berlinwhen KGB Colonel Rudolf Abel regained his freedom in exchange for fellow prisoner Gary Powers, a U-2 spy plane pilot shot down by the defunct Soviet Union (USSR).
Germany for the murder of an opponent of Vladimir Putin’s regime, in the framework of the prisoner exchange made today between Moscow and the West.
Prisoners released by the West in the exchange with Russia This Thursday they landed at the airport in the German city of Cologne, where the chancellor, Olaf ScholzI was waiting for them personally.
Two planes arrived in the country on Thursday night from Ankara (Türkiye) with most of the 16 freed prisoners on board. Only a small group of the newly exchanged flew directly to EU EFE
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