WASHINGTON/Panjab Post
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva landed in the U.S. late Thursday night, capping an extraordinary return home from Russian prisons after the largest and most extensive West-East swap of prisoners since the Cold War. The three Americans landed at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington at 11:37 p.m. following a long journey from Turkey, where they were initially taken after their release from Russian custody.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, greeted them at the tarmac along with family members who were at the White House earlier in the day. “It feels wonderful, it was a long time coming,” Biden told reporters on how it felt to see the families reunited. arris, speaking with the press, called it an “extraordinary day” and thanked the president. “This is an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and strengthening alliances,” she said. “This is an incredible day and you can see it in the families and in their eyes.”
