National security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday gave President Biden full confidence in the safe return of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia.
Sullivan took the podium at the White House’s daily press briefing after the Biden-Harris administration announced a massive exchange of political prisoners between the United States and Russia.
“Today’s exchange was a diplomatic feat that, honestly, only a leader like Joe Biden and his leadership could have accomplished,” Sullivan told reporters.
Three U.S. citizens – Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Arsu Kurmasheva – and one U.S. green card holder, Vladimir Kara Murza and a dozen others were released from Russian custody. Sullivan said Biden was “personally involved” in the diplomatic effort to bring the Americans home, including numerous conversations with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and leaders of other countries offering Russian prisoners in exchange.
Biden calls Russian prisoner swap deal freeing WSJ’s Gershkovich, Whelan a ‘feat of diplomacy’
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, August 1, 2024. Alexei Navalny. “We have been working with our partners to reach an agreement, which will include Alexei Navalny, who unfortunately passed away,” Sullivan told reporters. (Photo by Brendan Smirovsky /AFP) (Photo by Brendan Smirovsky/AFP via Getty Images) (Brendan Smialowski/AFP, Getty Images)
The White House confirmed that Biden had a phone call with the Slovenian Prime Minister on Sunday, July 21, to make final arrangements for the implementation of the agreement.
“There is no more singular or concrete evidence that the alliances the president has revitalized around the world matter to Americans, to Americans’ individual security, and to Americans’ collective security. We are deeply grateful to our allies for standing by us.” We worked through these complex negotiations to achieve this outcome,” Sullivan said.
He added that Biden was in contact with the leaders of Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey as he spoke, thanking them for their contribution to the deal.
“This is classic Joe Biden, uniting U.S. allies to save American citizens and Russian freedom fighters, and doing it with sophisticated statecraft, bringing his entire team together to advance this,” Sullivan said. Things cross the finish line.
LIVE UPDATES: Prisoner exchange deal with Russia
In this undated distribution photo obtained on August 1, 2024, Evan Gershkovich, Arsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan, who were detained in Russia, celebrate their freedom Take a photo with the American flag. (U.S. Government/Reuters handout)
Gershkovich, 32, He was arrested on March 29, 2023 while reporting on a trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and charged with espionage. The Biden administration declared he was “wrongfully detained,” and both the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government flatly denied the accusations, calling them absurd on their face.
Whelan spent years in Russian custody. Turkish intelligence officials played a key role in mediating the prisoner exchange, a source told Fox News.
“His goal has always been to put families first, families who are enduring unimaginable hardships,” Sullivan said of Biden.
“We’ve been in regular and routine contact with them, starting with the president. I’ve spent a lot of time with Evan, Paul and Arzu’s families, and most of the time, as you can imagine, these are tough times. Talk but not today,” he said emotionally.
WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich released from Russia in prisoner swap; Paul Whelan also released
In August, US President Joe Biden spoke about Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Arsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kurmasheva who were detained in Russia during a brief event at the White House in Washington. Kara-Murza’s release was attended by some of their relatives. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
“Today was a very good day and we will build on it.”
During Sullivan’s speech, former President Trump weighed in on the Truth Society, demanding to know the details of the prisoner exchange.
Trump wrote: “How many of us are fighting them? Do we also pay them cash? Do they give us cash (please withdraw this question because I am sure the answer is no)? Do we release murderers, killers?” , or thugs?
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“Just curious because we’ve never had a good deal on anything, especially hostage exchanges,” the Republican presidential candidate continued. “Our ‘negotiators’ always embarrass us! I save Taking a lot of hostages but not giving anything to the other country – and not giving any cash. That sets a bad precedent for the future, or that’s how they’re blackmailing the United States of America, so no one can figure it out. How bad it is!”
Sullivan told reporters the prisoner exchange had nothing to do with money or sanctions relief.
He also addressed concerns that a prisoner swap could incentivize U.S. adversaries to mistakenly detain more Americans, arguing that freeing innocent people was worthwhile.
“It is difficult to return a convicted criminal to secure the release of an innocent American. However, sometimes we need to make a choice between doing so or allowing that person to spend the rest of his or her life in prison in a hostile foreign country. Or in the hands of hostile forces,” Sullivan said.
“So from our perspective, we have assessed and analyzed the risk, we have judged the benefits of reuniting Americans and bringing people home, and also justified the idea that the President of the United States and the United States Government will take the necessary actions. correct.
