BREAKING: President Biden Delivers Remarks On Prisoner Swap With Russia, Freeing Gershkovic, Whelan

2 months ago

President Biden delivered remarks on Thursday, where he spoke about the massive prisoner swap with Russia.

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Transcript

00:00Good afternoon, and this is a very good afternoon.

00:12Today we're bringing home Paul, Evan, Alsu, Vladimir, three American citizens and one

00:18American green card holder.

00:20All four have been imprisoned unjustly in Russia, Paul for nearly six years, Vladimir

00:27since 2022, Evan since March of 2023, and Alsu since October of 2023.

00:36Russian authorities arrested them, convicted them in show trials, and sentenced them to

00:41long prison terms, with absolutely no legitimate reason whatsoever, none.

00:46Paul, a former Marine, was in Russia for a wedding, Evan, a journalist in Russia, was

00:55in Russia, signed by the Wall Street Journal, Alsu, also a journalist, was in Russia to

01:01see family, all three falsely accused of being spies, and Vladimir, who was a Russian citizen

01:08by birth and holds an American green card, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and

01:13was a pallbearer at my friend John McCain's funeral with me.

01:17He spoke out against Putin's regime, and for that he was convicted of treason, and now

01:24their brutal ordeal is over, and they're free.

01:28Moments ago, the families and I were able to speak to them on the telephone from the

01:34Oval Office.

01:35They're out of Russia.

01:36Earlier today, they were flown to Turkey, and soon they'll be wheels up on their way

01:41home to see their families.

01:44This is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here.

01:48It's relief to the friends and colleagues all across the country who have been praying

01:52for this day for a long time.

01:55The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship.

02:01Friendship.

02:02Multiple countries helped get this done.

02:05They joined the difficult, complex negotiations at my request, and I personally thank them

02:11all again.

02:12I've thanked them personally, and I'll thank them again.

02:14All told, Russia has released 16 prisoners.

02:18Eight Russians who are being held in the West will be sent home as well.

02:23These 16 prisoners from Russia that Russia has released include four Americans, five

02:28Germans, seven Russian citizens who are political prisoners in their own country.

02:34One of those Russians runs a human rights organization, Memorial, which won a Nobel

02:39Prize in 2022.

02:42Putin threw him in prison for voicing opposition to the war in Ukraine.

02:46Four others work with Alexei Navalny, a political opposition leader who died in Russia prison

02:52this year.

02:53Now they can live safely abroad and continue their work of advocating for democracy, if

02:59they so choose.

03:01This deal would not have been made possible without our allies.

03:04Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey, they all stepped up, and they stood with us.

03:10They stood with us.

03:12And they made bold and brave decisions, released prisoners being held in their countries who

03:17are justifiably being held, and provided logistical support to get the Americans home.

03:23So for anyone who questions whether allies matter, they do.

03:28They matter.

03:29And today is a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world, friends

03:34you can trust, work with, and depend upon, especially on matters of great consequence

03:39and sensitivity like this.

03:42Our alliances make our people safer, and we begin to see that again today.

03:48Let me say this.

03:49It says a lot about the United States that we work relentlessly to free Americans who

03:55are unjustly held around the world.

03:57It also says a lot about us that this deal includes the release of Russian political

04:01prisoners.

04:03They stood up for democracy and human rights.

04:06Their own leaders threw them in prison.

04:08The United States helped secure their release as well.

04:12That's who we are in the United States.

04:14We stand for freedom, for liberty, for justice, not only for our own people, but for others

04:20as well.

04:21And that's why all Americans can take pride in what we've achieved today.

04:25I want to thank everyone in my administration who helped make this happen.

04:31Our work did not start just on day one.

04:34It started before day one.

04:37In the transition, I instructed our national security team to dig into all the cases of

04:41hostages being wrongfully detained, which were inherently – well, we inherited them

04:47from the private – the prior administration.

04:49I wanted to make sure we hit the ground running, and we did.

04:55As of today, my administration has brought home over 70 Americans who were wrongfully

04:59detained and held hostage abroad – many since before I took office.

05:05In addition, I issued an executive order in 2022 authorizing penalties like sanctions

05:10and travel bans on those who hold Americans against their will.

05:14And my State Department has introduced new warnings for Americans about the risk of being

05:20wrongfully detained by a foreign government.

05:24Deals like this one come with tough calls, and there are never any guarantees.

05:30But there's nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad.

05:35And so we'll continue to work for the release of all wrongfully detained Americans around

05:39the world.

05:40Let me end where I began, with Paul, Evan, and also Vladimir and their families.

05:49They never gave up hope.

05:51We can't imagine what they've been through, all of you.

05:56Matter of fact, this lady right here, I think, has been in the Oval Office with us for a while.

06:00All kidding aside, I can't imagine their joy right now, their home.

06:06Tomorrow is a big day – the 13th birthday of Miriam.

06:11Miriam, where are you?

06:13Come here.

06:15You all know we have a tradition in the Biden family.

06:17We sing happy birthday on a new birthday.

06:20You ready?

06:21All of you.

06:22Happy birthday to you.

06:24Happy birthday to you.

06:27Happy birthday, dear Miriam.

06:31Happy birthday to you.

06:34Remember, no serious guys until you're 30.

06:38God love you.

06:40She's all Sue's daughter.

06:42Now she gets to celebrate with her mom.

06:45That's what this is all about – families able to be together again, like they should

06:51have been all along.

06:52So I want to thank you again to everyone who did their part.

06:56In just a few hours, we'll welcome home our fellow Americans.

07:00We're looking forward to that.

07:03God willing, we're going to be out at Andrews and get that done.

07:07So thank you, thank you, thank you, and this is a good day.

07:11What did you say when they answered the phone on the other side?

07:15I said, welcome almost home.

07:18How do you keep countries, these so-called abductor states, from simply taking more Americans

07:25in order to get more of their prisoners home?

07:27How do you end these perverse incentives, sir?

07:30By advising people not to go certain places.

07:33Tell them what's at risk, what's at stake.

07:36Sir, President, can you answer our negotiations and can you speak to the complexity of working

07:41with six countries to secure these releases?

07:44Well, I'm not going to take the time now, but I'll do this later in the week.

07:50I particularly owe a great sense of gratitude to the Chancellor.

07:59The demands they were making of me required me to get some significant concessions from

08:05Germany, which they originally concluded they could not do because of the person in question.

08:12But everybody stepped up.

08:13Poland stepped up.

08:14Slovenia stepped up.

08:15Turkey stepped up.

08:17And it matters to have relationships.

08:19It really does.

08:21These things matter.

08:23Pardon me?

08:24Could this improve relations with Russia?

08:26Is there any avenue for that after this prisoner exchange deal?

08:30As my sister might say, your lips to God's ears, man.

08:34Would you be willing to speak with Putin on this?

08:40I don't need to speak with Putin.

08:42Anyway.

08:43How did you weigh that decision of letting somebody out of Putin?

08:46It sounds like that way before it was done.

08:49I got home innocent people.

08:53All right.

08:54Thanks, everybody.

08:55Are you speaking with everyone?

08:56Are you the leaders about this?

08:57Say that again?

08:58Are you speaking with President Erdogan?

08:59Are you the leaders about this?

09:01By the way, as a father, look, you heard me say this before, and I mean it.

09:19My dad had a simple proposition.

09:21Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end.

09:25Blood of my blood, bone of my bones.

09:28I can't think of nothing more consequential.

09:30I mean it sincerely.

09:32And having lost family in a different way, not knowing what's happening,

09:37the circumstances of the accident, the health, it matters.

09:44Mr. President, what did Germany ask for in response to their cooperation?

09:48Nothing.

09:49What did President Trump say?

09:51President Trump has said repeatedly that he could have gotten the hostages out

09:56without giving anything in exchange.

09:58What do you say to that?

09:59What do you say to President Trump now, the former president?

10:02Why didn't he do it as president?

BREAKING: President Biden Delivers Remarks On Prisoner Swap With Russia, Freeing Gershkovic, Whelan

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