01:16Mandatory credit: Pul Pervogo
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that his American counterpart Joe Biden 'had nothing to do' with the large-scale prisoner exchange deal between Russia and Western countries, as he addressed the citizens of the Gomel region on Friday.
"They asked us, we got involved and helped as much as we could. <...> But someone like the US President [Joe Biden] is using this to gain more credit, even though he had nothing to do with it. Nothing! The special services handled these negotiations, even diplomats were not involved," he said.
A historic prisoner swap between Moscow and five Western countries was announced on Thursday, with 26 detainees released and returned to their countries overall. An American green card holder, activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, was also granted freedom and had flown to Germany.
The swap deal was confirmed by Biden on Thursday, 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."
Former US marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were released from Russian prisons and headed to Ankara, before making their flight back to the US airbase.
Twenty-six individuals - 24 adults and two minors - were freed on Thursday, following the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War. 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.
'He had nothing to do with it!' - Lukashenko claims Biden using historic prisoner swap to 'gain more credit'
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that his American counterpart Joe Biden 'had nothing to do' with the large-scale prisoner exchange deal between Russia and Western countries, as he addressed the citizens of the Gomel region on Friday.
"They asked us, we got involved and helped as much as we could. <...> But someone like the US President [Joe Biden] is using this to gain more credit, even though he had nothing to do with it. Nothing! The special services handled these negotiations, even diplomats were not involved," he said.
A historic prisoner swap between Moscow and five Western countries was announced on Thursday, with 26 detainees released and returned to their countries overall. An American green card holder, activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, was also granted freedom and had flown to Germany.
The swap deal was confirmed by Biden on Thursday, 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."
Former US marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were released from Russian prisons and headed to Ankara, before making their flight back to the US airbase.
Twenty-six individuals - 24 adults and two minors - were freed on Thursday, following the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War. 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: Pul Pervogo
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that his American counterpart Joe Biden 'had nothing to do' with the large-scale prisoner exchange deal between Russia and Western countries, as he addressed the citizens of the Gomel region on Friday.
"They asked us, we got involved and helped as much as we could. <...> But someone like the US President [Joe Biden] is using this to gain more credit, even though he had nothing to do with it. Nothing! The special services handled these negotiations, even diplomats were not involved," he said.
A historic prisoner swap between Moscow and five Western countries was announced on Thursday, with 26 detainees released and returned to their countries overall. An American green card holder, activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, was also granted freedom and had flown to Germany.
The swap deal was confirmed by Biden on Thursday, 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."
Former US marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were released from Russian prisons and headed to Ankara, before making their flight back to the US airbase.
Twenty-six individuals - 24 adults and two minors - were freed on Thursday, following the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War. 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.