On August 1, Thursday, following an unprecedented prisoner exchange with Russia, U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed three newly freed Americans.
Journalist Evan Gershkovich, corporate security executive Paul Hilan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (who holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and Russia) arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just after midnight on Thursday. They are about to have a joyful reunion with their families.
These three Americans were part of the largest prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia in post-Soviet history. Officials stated that negotiators involved in the multinational agreement secured the release of two dozen individuals.
Despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at a low point following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after the Cold War, this exchange came after years of indirect negotiations. (AP)
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and two years later, Russia’s full-scale aggression in Ukraine continues.
