| Freed Americans (from left): Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and corporate security director Paul Whelan in Ankara, Turkey, today. Photo: U.S. Government via Getty Images Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter wrongly imprisoned in Russia for over a year, is finally free — part of the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War. - President Biden was on the phone with foreign leaders trying to finalize the prisoner swap only about an hour before he announced he would drop out of the presidential race, the Journal reports in its deep dive on how the deal came together.
✈️ All told, the prisoner exchange involved 24 prisoners from at least six countries, the WSJ reports. - In addition to Gershkovich, Russia freed former Marine Paul Whelan and a handful of dissidents and other foreign journalists.
- In return, it got back hit man Vadim Krasikov. Russia repeatedly rebuffed proposed swaps that didn't include Krasikov, and U.S. officials had to push Germany to release him.
- "The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy," Biden said today.
The Wall Street Journal's lead online headline 🔎 Behind the scenes: Gershkovich's mother, Ella, moved heaven and Earth to secure her son's release, pressuring administration officials both publicly and privately, even cornering Biden at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. ✍️ Gershkovich "was determined to leave prison a better writer than he'd arrived," the WSJ said. He spent much of his time in solitary confinement reading famous Russian literature. - And when he had to fill out a formal clemency request to finalize his release, he tacked on an interview request for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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