While isolating in Delaware with COVID-19 as his reelection prospects were fading, President Joe Biden had to make one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency.
Just one hour before releasing a July 21 statement that ultimately changed the presidential election, President Biden was on the phone with other world leaders, trying to finalize the details of getting four Americans released from Russian custody. The four Americans, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, American citizen and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and U.S. permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza, were considered “wrongfully detained.”
While the Biden administration has made bringing these Americans home a priority, it would come at the cost of allowing multiple Russians convicted of crimes to go free. Among them was Vadim Krasikov, a man convicted of murder and held by Germany. Senior administration officials said that Russia considered Krasikov the “biggest fish.”
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Officials said the prisoners’ release would not have been possible if Germany had not agreed to release Krasikov.
Why the release was so important to Biden
Getting the likes of Whelan and Gershkovich out of Russian custody has been a political priority for President Biden. But the mission was also personal.
When asked by Scripps News White House correspondent Serena Marshall about the importance of getting the four Americans released, President Biden said, “My dad has a simple proposition. Family is the beginning, middle and end … I can think of nothing more consequential. Having lost family in a different way, not knowing what’s happening, it matters.”
President Biden made the announcement surrounded by family members of Americans released by Russia. During his statement, President Biden paused to sing “Happy Birthday” to Miriam Butorin, daughter of Kurmasheva.
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“They never gave up hope,” President Biden said. “We can’t imagine what they’ve been through, all of you.”
“I can’t imagine their joy right now. They’re home,” he continued.
Complex deal required multinational support
It wasn’t just the U.S., Russia and Germany involved in the deal. Norway, Slovenia and Poland also gave up Russian citizens held for various crimes to make the prisoner swap possible. Turkey also helped facilitate the transfer of prisoners between the nations.
Officials were cautious on Thursday about making any official announcement to avoid jeopardizing the precarious exchange. The Biden administration was worried that months of negotiations could be undone at the last minute.
“President Biden and his team, including a lot of dedicated people at the NSC, the CIA, State Department engaged with all of these countries to get to the result we achieved today,” said national security adviser Jake Sullivan
Discussions began in February
Senior administration officials said discussions over a potential prisoner swap involving Krasikov with Germany began in February. While some in the administration expressed skepticism, others were optimistic a deal was within reach.
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A senior administration official said that Sullivan “saw a path forward,” but felt that it could take more time than they would have liked. There were concerns that the Feb. 16 death of Alexei Navalny would slow down a potential prisoner swap.
That’s when German Chancellor Olaf Schultz and President Biden spoke with him about the potential swap.
A senior administration official said that Schultz responded to President Biden’s ask for the release of Krasikov by saying, “For you, I will do this.” Officials then said that President Biden turned to Sullivan and said, “Get it done.”
Two months later, Sullivan sent a draft letter to President Biden and Schultz outlining the proposal. Officials said the proposal came after more than a year of work by the National Security Council.
Officials said the deal was brought about because of President Biden’s “really good relationship” with Schultz.
Political fallout for President Biden
This is not the first prisoner swap with Russia that President Biden has presided over. In December 2022, the White House orchestrated the exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout, an international arms dealer.
While playing in Russia, Griner was arrested in February 2022 for possessing hash oil. She was later sentenced to nine years in prison.
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The release of Bout, however, was criticized by some Republican lawmakers. Bout was convicted on four criminal counts: (1) conspiring to kill U.S. nationals; (2) conspiring to kill U.S. officers and employees; (3) conspiring to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles; and (4) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
White House officials said, however, that in Thursday’s massive prisoner release, the U.S. got the “right mix” in exchange for the four Americans released.
“Nobody’s turning a blind eye to his crimes into his connection to Russian intelligence services,” a senior Biden administration official said. “But look, in order to secure the release of innocent people overseas and innocent Americans, you’d have to make some tough decisions, you have to make some tough calls. This deal is no different than any other one that the president has presided over or led our administration through.”
The president’s work is not done
Officials said that returning wrongfully detained Americans remains a priority for the outgoing administration. One notable American remaining in Russian custody is Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania who was convicted of drug trafficking. Fogel’s detainment has not been considered “wrongful” by the U.S., however.
U.S. officials say that there are “ongoing conversations” about releasing Fogel. Officials, however, would not go into details as to where those negotiations stand.
