٠٠:٠٥:٣٩Mandatory credit: The White House
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan became emotional on Thursday as he described the combined efforts of US authorities in the historic West-Russia prisoner swap deal, which saw the return of three American detainees.
"I spent a lot of time with the families of Evan and Paul and Alsu and most of the time, as you can imagine, those are tough conversations, but not today. Today… excuse me. Today was a very good day, and we're going to build on it," he said.
"I just want to say that this is the culmination of a monumental level of effort and level of skill by my teammates across the national security enterprise," he continued.
Sullivan claimed that the exchange could only be achieved by a 'leader like Joe Biden', adding that the deal was the result of the intelligence community working 'tirelessly and relentlessly'.
"The President was himself personally engaged in the diplomacy that brought this about, including multiple conversations with Chancellor Scholz, with the other leaders of the countries who provided some of the Russians as part of the exchange," he said.
On Thursday, Biden confirmed the swap deal as he addressed the nation and hosted the prisoners' family members in the Oval Office.
"Today, we're bringing home Paul, Evan, Alsu [and] Vladimir," Biden stated, noting all four have been imprisoned 'unjustly' in Russia. "And now, their brutal ordeal is over, and they're free."
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, and Whelan, an ex-US Marine, were arrested in Russia in March 2023 and December 2018, respectively.
On June 19, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in a strict regime penal colony on espionage charges. Whelan was found guilty in June 2020 on charges of espionage and was also sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Russian-American Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was convicted of spreading false information about the Russian military and sentenced to six and a half years in prison in July 2022.
The three were part of a historic prisoner swap between Moscow and five Western countries, announced on Thursday, with 26 detainees released and returned to their countries. In addition, American green card holder and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was also granted freedom and flown to Germany.
Sixteen prisoners held in Russia and ten people, including two minors, in the US, Norway, Germany, Poland and Slovenia were released from jails as a part of the exchange.
'Today was a good day' - US national security adviser gets emotional after 'monumental' prisoner exchange
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan became emotional on Thursday as he described the combined efforts of US authorities in the historic West-Russia prisoner swap deal, which saw the return of three American detainees.
"I spent a lot of time with the families of Evan and Paul and Alsu and most of the time, as you can imagine, those are tough conversations, but not today. Today… excuse me. Today was a very good day, and we're going to build on it," he said.
"I just want to say that this is the culmination of a monumental level of effort and level of skill by my teammates across the national security enterprise," he continued.
Sullivan claimed that the exchange could only be achieved by a 'leader like Joe Biden', adding that the deal was the result of the intelligence community working 'tirelessly and relentlessly'.
"The President was himself personally engaged in the diplomacy that brought this about, including multiple conversations with Chancellor Scholz, with the other leaders of the countries who provided some of the Russians as part of the exchange," he said.
On Thursday, Biden confirmed the swap deal as he addressed the nation and hosted the prisoners' family members in the Oval Office.
"Today, we're bringing home Paul, Evan, Alsu [and] Vladimir," Biden stated, noting all four have been imprisoned 'unjustly' in Russia. "And now, their brutal ordeal is over, and they're free."
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, and Whelan, an ex-US Marine, were arrested in Russia in March 2023 and December 2018, respectively.
On June 19, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in a strict regime penal colony on espionage charges. Whelan was found guilty in June 2020 on charges of espionage and was also sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Russian-American Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was convicted of spreading false information about the Russian military and sentenced to six and a half years in prison in July 2022.
The three were part of a historic prisoner swap between Moscow and five Western countries, announced on Thursday, with 26 detainees released and returned to their countries. In addition, American green card holder and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was also granted freedom and flown to Germany.
Sixteen prisoners held in Russia and ten people, including two minors, in the US, Norway, Germany, Poland and Slovenia were released from jails as a part of the exchange.
Mandatory credit: The White House
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan became emotional on Thursday as he described the combined efforts of US authorities in the historic West-Russia prisoner swap deal, which saw the return of three American detainees.
"I spent a lot of time with the families of Evan and Paul and Alsu and most of the time, as you can imagine, those are tough conversations, but not today. Today… excuse me. Today was a very good day, and we're going to build on it," he said.
"I just want to say that this is the culmination of a monumental level of effort and level of skill by my teammates across the national security enterprise," he continued.
Sullivan claimed that the exchange could only be achieved by a 'leader like Joe Biden', adding that the deal was the result of the intelligence community working 'tirelessly and relentlessly'.
"The President was himself personally engaged in the diplomacy that brought this about, including multiple conversations with Chancellor Scholz, with the other leaders of the countries who provided some of the Russians as part of the exchange," he said.
On Thursday, Biden confirmed the swap deal as he addressed the nation and hosted the prisoners' family members in the Oval Office.
"Today, we're bringing home Paul, Evan, Alsu [and] Vladimir," Biden stated, noting all four have been imprisoned 'unjustly' in Russia. "And now, their brutal ordeal is over, and they're free."
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, and Whelan, an ex-US Marine, were arrested in Russia in March 2023 and December 2018, respectively.
On June 19, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in a strict regime penal colony on espionage charges. Whelan was found guilty in June 2020 on charges of espionage and was also sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Russian-American Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was convicted of spreading false information about the Russian military and sentenced to six and a half years in prison in July 2022.
The three were part of a historic prisoner swap between Moscow and five Western countries, announced on Thursday, with 26 detainees released and returned to their countries. In addition, American green card holder and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was also granted freedom and flown to Germany.
Sixteen prisoners held in Russia and ten people, including two minors, in the US, Norway, Germany, Poland and Slovenia were released from jails as a part of the exchange.