Biden hugs journalist in historic moment

Journalist Evan Gershkovich and others prisoners wrongly detained by Russia have touched down in the US after the biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War.

Journalist Evan Gershkovich and others prisoners wrongly detained by Russia have touched down in the US after the biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War.

Gershkovich, former US marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were met with cheers from waiting family and friends as they disembarked a plane at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.

The moment the plane touched down was live streamed across the world, with media rushing to the aircraft.

The prisoners were greeted by US President Joe Biden, who pointed as he approached the plane before giving the prisoners hand shakes and warm embraces.

Gershkovich beamed as he took his turn to step off the aircraft to meet with Mr Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

He then embraced his family members, clearly thrilled to be back on American soil.

“I’m home,” Gershkovich told his Wall Street Journal colleagues, who had gathered on the tarmac, CNN reported.

“This is an incredible day,” Harris said.

US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris greet Evan Gershkovich. Picture: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via AFP

Evan Gershkovich arrives into Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Picture: ABC News

Evan Gershkovich followed by his mother Ella Milman. Picture: Roberto Schmidt/AFP

Biden removed his pin and placed it on Whelan’s lapel, saying of the prisoner release: “It feels wonderful. Long time in coming. I was absolutely convinced we could get it done. I meant it when I said — alliances make a difference.

“They stepped up and took a chance for us and it mattered a lot.”

He said the “toughest call” was not for the US but its allies: “I asked them to do some things that were against their immediate interest … particularly Germany and Slovenia”.

He praised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as “incredible”.

Meanwhile, Harris said: “I’m very thankful for our president and what he has done here but in particular as it relates to these families and these individuals what he has been able to do to bring the allies together on many issues, but in particular, this one.”

According to CNN, the released prisoners will be taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for medical evaluation and care.

Evan Gershkovich walks on the tarmac after arriving back in the US. Picture: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via AFP

“This is a good day,” said US President Joe Biden at the White House.

Earlier, on the tarmac at Ankara Airport in Turkey, 24 prisoners were exchanged after an extraordinary deal thrashed out between the US, Russia, Germany and several other nations which had been kept quiet for week.

Alsu Kurmasheva (C) walks with her husband Pavel Butorin and their daughters Miriam Butorin and Bibi Butorinas at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on August 1, 2024. Picture: Roberto Schmidt/AFP

Mr Gershkovich had recently been given a 16 year sentence for spying by a Russian court.

But at around 6.15pm on Thursday, local time, (1.15am, Friday), Mr Gershkovich, who his employer The Wall Street Journal and US authorities have consistently said was falsely imprisoned, stepped off a Russian plane in Turkey and was handed to US officials.

It comes as new photographs were released of Mr Gershkovich, showing him looking relieved.

The hostages, including Evan Gershkovich (bottom left) were seen smiling in the first official photos of the trio since their release. Picture: Supplied

Relief shows on the face of Evan Gershkovich after he was part of the biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War. Picture: Supplied

He was joined by former US Marine Paul Whelan, Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Russian Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza who had a US green card. The group were later snapped holding US flags and aboard a US aircraft.

They are due to touch down in Washington DC at 11.30pm, Thursday, local time (1.30pm, Friday, AEST).

A Russian government plane in Ankara.

Historic front page

On Thursday, US time, the Wall Street Journal cleared its front page to report the news and declare its staff member “Evan Gershkovich is free”.

For some time it felt like Mr Gershkovich’s freedom might never come.

Alongside the US and Russia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey were involved in negotiations.

In total 16 people have left Russian prisons made up of three Americans, one Russian with US permanent residency, five Germans and seven Russian political prisoners who had been imprisoned and were critics of President Vladimir Putin and allies of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Eight Russian prisoners in the West headed to Russia in return.

A convicted Russian hit man and several hackers will now be free in Russia.

The Wall Street Journal’s front page after the release was confirmed.

Freed journo’s extraordinary request of Putin

Details have emerged of Mr Gershkovich’s extraordinary message to Mr Putin after his release was secured.

In its coverage of the efforts to free him, the Wall Street Journal reported how Russian protocol required Mr Gershkovich to write an official request for presidential clemency, addressed to Mr Putin.

But along with his clemency request, in a final message to the president who had seen him jailed, Mr Gershkovich also asked Mr Putin if he would be willing to sit down for an interview upon his release.

Biden’s dig at Trump: ‘Why didn’t he do it?’

Mr Biden said in a statement that the release was a “feat of diplomacy”.

“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 a dig at Donald Trump, Mr Biden was asked what he would say to his rival who has claimed he could get the prisoners released with no concessions to Russia.

Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan hold an American flag after being released in the prisoner swap with Russia. Picture: Supplied

An electronic billboard at New York's Times Square marks the one year anniversary of the imprisonment in Russia of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, on March 29, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

“We are overwhelmed with relief and elated for Evan and his family, as well as for the others who were released,” said Wall Street Journal editor in chief Emma Tucker.

“At the same time, we condemn in the strongest terms Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia, which orchestrated Evan’s 491-day wrongful imprisonment based on sham accusations and a fake trial as part of an all-out assault on the free press and truth.

“Evan and his family have displayed unrivalled courage, resilience and poise during this ordeal, which came to an end because of broad advocacy for his release around the world”.

US President Joe Biden, standing alongside family members of the freed prisoners, speaks about the prisoner exchange with Russia on August 1, 2024. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

Vice President Kamala Harris said “It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over and that they will soon be reunited with their families”.

All eyes were on the Turkish capital of Ankara where a number of planes from Russia, the US and other European nations landed.

Turkey is a NATO member but also has relatively cordial relations with Russia.

The stunning development has been long sought by the Biden Government in the US.

On Thursday a flurry of activity saw several prisoners vanish from their Siberian jails. A number of Russian government planes have been moving around the country, it’s thought to ferry those prisoners to courts and to places where they will be released.

A Russian Tupolev Tu-204-300 aircraft prepares to land at Ankara Esenboga Airport in Ankara on August 1, 2024, as Turkish authorities announced that 26 prisoners have been exchanged with Russia and West. (Photo by CAGLAR / AFP)

German magazine Der Spiegel has reported that Vadim Krasikov, who shot dead a Kremlin opposed in a Berlin park in 2019, is on his way to Ankara.

He was identified as colonel in Russia’s FSB intelligence service. Russia President Vladimir Putin has long sought Krasikov’s return.

Also Kurmasheva, a US-Russian journalist who was arrested last year for failing to register as a "foreign agent”. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)

‘Sham trial’

Mr Gershkovich was arrested in the major Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023 while working on a story. He was accused of espionage for the US and last month was found guilty and imprisoned him for 16 years.

The US and The Wall Street Journal have consistently denied he was doing anything other than his job as a journalist. American officials said Mr Gershkovich’s trial was a “sham”.

Paul Whelan, a former US Marine stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow on August 23, 2019. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

In 2018, Mr Whelan went to Russia to go to a friend’s wedding. He was arrested and in 2020 was also sentenced to 16 years for espionage.

Mr Whelan’s family have become frustrated that he has been held in Russia for years and was left out of earlier prisoner swaps including basketball player Brittany Greiner.

Ms Kurmasheva was detailed when trying to leave Russia after a family visit in May 20203. In October, she was charged with failing to register as a foreign agent which could have led to a five-year sentence.

The US has claimed the three were being held as political prisoners. Russia has denied these claims.