President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday following a prisoner swap between the U.S., Russia, and several other governments. The exchange resulted in the release of Americans who had been detained in Russia, including Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. This was the largest prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia since the Cold War.
Gershkovich was convicted in Russia on espionage charges, which he denies, and had been held in Russia for 17 months before being released. Whelan, who had been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that were deemed baseless by his family and the U.S. government, was also freed. He had been sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison colony.
Biden’s remarks were scheduled to begin at noon ET and were covered live by USA TODAY. The prisoner swap involved the release of 16 individuals detained in Russia in exchange for eight individuals held in the U.S., Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Poland. The release of Gershkovich and Whelan marks a significant development in U.S.-Russia relations, and Biden is expected to address the nation on this issue.
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