Three U.S. citizens, including journalist Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan, were released from Russian prisons as part of a major multinational prisoner exchange involving 24 people from six nations. Gershkovich was arrested in 2023 on espionage charges, while Whelan had been detained since 2018. The U.S. denied the charges against Whelan and had previously excluded him from two prisoner exchanges. President Joe Biden had gathered with the families of those being returned to the U.S. before the swap was announced. The complex swap included individuals imprisoned in Russia, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, and Poland. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been strained due to various factors, including Russian interference in the 2016 election and the invasion of Ukraine. The swap was organized by the Biden administration, with discussions starting in December 2022 and involving various offers with Russia. A breakthrough came in January 2024, which eventually led to the successful exchange. One of the most notable prisoners released as part of the swap was Vadim Krasikov, jailed in Germany for a murder believed to be a Russian state-sanctioned assassination. This swap has raised concerns about the risks of exchanging wrongfully detained Americans for Russian prisoners.
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