Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan are back home after historic prisoner swap

WASHINGTON — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva landed in the U.S. late Thursday night, capping an extraordinary return home from Russian prisons after the largest and most extensive West-East swap of prisoners since the Cold War.

The three Americans landed at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington at 11:37 p.m. ET following a long journey from Turkey, where they were initially taken after their release from Russian custody.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, greeted them at the tarmac along with family members who were at the White House earlier in the day.

“It feels wonderful, it was a long time coming," Biden told reporters after the families reunited.

Harris, speaking with the press, called it an “extraordinary day” and thanked the president.

“This is an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and strengthening alliances,” she said. “This is an incredible day and you can see it in the families and in their eyes.”

More: Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan are free: Russia releases Americans in prisoner swap

The historic swap followed months of negotiations and involved 24 prisoners across six countries ?16 individuals detained in Russia in exchange for eight people held in the U.S., Germany, Norway, Slovenia and Poland. The key concession was the return of Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov, who was in jail in Germany.

Gershkovich, 32, was detained in Russia in 2023 during a time of heightened tensions between the West and Russia over the war in Ukraine. Russian prosecutors accused the New Jersey native of gathering information on behalf of the CIA. Gershkovich, the Journal and the U.S. government denied the charges, saying he was doing his job as a journalist.

Whelan, 54, was arrested in 2018 on espionage charges. At the time of his arrest, Whelan was working as head of global security for the Michigan-based auto supply company BorgWarner. The Russian Foreign Ministry alleged Whelan was caught "red-handed" in an act of espionage, while Whelan insisted that he was set up and that he was simply a tourist.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian-British dissident and American green-card holder, was also released from Russian prisons in the exchange.

Whelan was the first one off the plane, and quickly shook the president’s hand as they exchanged words.

“How you doing, sir?" Whelan said when greeting Biden.

He then shook Harris’ hand and the two also had a short conversation. He embraced both Biden and Harris before waving to the press and heading to greet his sister, Elizabeth.

As Whelan embraced his sister, Gershkovich was the next one to walk off the plane — where he was met with cheers by his press colleagues. Harris first, greeted Gershkovich, who held his hands open. The two embraced and exchanged words before the Wall Street Journal reporter turned to Biden to shake his hand and speak with the president.

Gershkovich then walked towards his family. His mom, Ella Milman, who advocated for his release for over a year, quickly ran towards him. He scooped her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground, as they kissed each other's cheeks. He then turned to his dad and hugged and kissed his cheek.

Kurmasheva was last off the plane and quickly embraced the president after descending down the steps. As the two exchanged words, Biden put his forhead towards her. She then went on to speak with Harris.

Bibi Butorin and Miriam Butorin, Kurmasheva’s daughters, ran toward their mother, letting out a loud cry as they met their mother’s arms. Her husband, Pavel Butorin, appeared to be wiping away tears as his daughters were reunited with their mother.

“To me, this is about the essence of who we are as a country. It really is about personal relationships, about families,” Biden told reporters.

The president emphasized how the release of the Americans could only be possible through diplomacy and having allies.

Biden also had a one-word message to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Stop.”

Whelan, after meeting with his sister, went back to speak with Biden. The president appeared to take his American flag pin off and affix it to Whelan's lapel.

"The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship," Biden said earlier Thursday as he announced the swap. "For anyone who questions whether allies matter, they do. They matter."

Harris said Gershkovich, Whelan and other prisoners showed "incredible courage in the face of atrocious and devastating circumstances" and called their detention "an appalling perversion of justice."

Whelan spoke with reporters shortly after arriving back in the U.S. He said he felt good, but was a little tired. While he was in custody, Whelan, a former Marine, said he sang the U.S. national anthem every day.

After meeting with his family, Gershkovich also walked towards the press — where about a dozen Wall Street Journal reporters and other members of the media were waiting and cheering his arrival.

“Evan! How does it feel to finally be home?” one reporter shouted as he walked over.

“Not bad,” Gershkovich responded. “Feels good.”

More: 'Their brutal ordeal is over': Biden hails largest prisoner swap since Cold War

Harris said that bringing the prisoners home was a daunting task. "We never stopped fighting for their release," Harris said, speaking to reporters in Houston before boarding Air Force Two Thursday afternoon.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the release of Alexei Navalny, the deceased Russian opposition leader of President Vladimir Putin, was originally discussed in the deal before he died in a Russian prison in February.

Ahead of the return flight home, the Gershkovich family released a statement thanking Biden and his administration, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Gershkovich's colleagues of the Wall Street Journal.

"We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like. We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close. Most important now is taking care of Evan and being together again. No family should have to go through this, and so we share relief and joy today with Paul and Alsu’s families," the family said.

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan return to US after prisoner swap