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00:00It's the largest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history.
00:0426 prisoners from six different countries were released in the deal between the US and
00:09Russia.
00:10Among them is Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
00:13As he lands back on American soil, he's greeted on the tarmac by family, President Joe Biden
00:19and Kamala Harris.
00:20This is an extraordinary day, and I'm very thankful for our President and what he has
00:27done over his entire career, but in particular as it relates to these families.
00:37This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands
00:44the power of diplomacy.
00:56Gershkovich, who had been detained in Russia since March 2023, was freed along with former
01:02Marine Paul Wellen, imprisoned since 2018 in Russia for espionage, and Russian-American
01:08journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
01:11The swap, which had been more than 18 months in the making, took place at the Ankara airport
01:16in Turkey and involved the US, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Germany, who released eight Russian
01:23prisoners in exchange for 16 detainees who were returned from Russia to Europe and the
01:28US.
01:30Now, once again, it's a special moment for me, a moment that has certainly intensified
01:35the friendship between the United States and Germany.
01:38The conversation I've had with the American president emphasised that.
01:42The Biden administration has placed the release of Americans overseas at the top of its agenda,
01:48bringing home now more than 70 Americans.