On Thursday, during the daily briefing, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was visibly moved as he discussed the successful effort to bring American prisoners home from Russia.
“Today—excuse me—today was a very good day,” Sullivan told reporters, his voice breaking with emotion. He reflected on the hard work that went into the complex prisoner swap and the impact it had on the prisoners and their families.
Sullivan praised the extensive effort by various teams involved in the swap, highlighting that the negotiations spanned months.
He shared that President Biden was deeply engaged in the process, even making crucial calls on the day he decided to end his bid for re-election.
Sullivan and his team have been working on this mission since the start of the Biden administration, with the effort beginning even before Biden took office.
This included numerous strategy sessions, meetings with foreign counterparts, and emotionally charged updates with the families of those detained.
The Historic Deal
The exchange, which freed 24 individuals—including 16 who were detained in Russia—was a historic deal, though not every American was able to be freed. Sullivan confirmed that the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was once part of the negotiations.
“We had been working on a deal that would have included Alexey Navalny. Unfortunately, he passed away.
On the day he died, I saw Evan’s parents and assured them that President Biden was determined to see this through, despite the tragic news,” Sullivan said, referring to the family of freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
The negotiations involved several countries, and Sullivan expressed gratitude to leaders from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey. “We’ve completed one of the largest and most complex exchanges in history,” he stated.
Sullivan shared that he spent significant time with the families of the freed individuals, noting that while those conversations were often tough, “Today—excuse me—today was a very good day,” he said, regaining his composure.
Sullivan refrained from naming who initially pushed for the broad deal, describing it as an “organic process involving many people across our government.” He credited President Biden for pushing the team to find a workable solution.
“I would say if Joe Biden hadn’t been in the Oval Office, this wouldn’t have happened,” he remarked.
Sullivan added a touch of humor, joking about saving his tears for the podium and wanting to “strike that from the record.”
Negotiators faced uncertainty up until the last hours.
A pivotal moment occurred in February when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to release Vadim Krasikov, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Berlin, which was a key demand from Russia.
“It was two guys trying to find a solution. The chancellor was able to say to the president, ‘Let’s do this,'” Sullivan explained.
He confirmed that Scholz had indeed told Biden, “For you, I will do this,” but didn’t provide further details.
Final Arrangements and Presidential Support
Confidence in the deal grew after President Biden’s call with Slovenia’s prime minister on July 21, which helped finalize arrangements. Sullivan noted that while there was growing confidence, the deal remained fragile and could have fallen apart at any moment.
The president himself held an event with the families of the detained Americans, including a somewhat awkward “Happy Birthday” celebration for Miriam Butorin, the daughter of freed journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
Addressing the Release of a Convicted Hitman
In response to questions about the release of Vladimir Krasikov, a convicted hitman serving a life sentence for murder, President Biden defended the decision.
When asked about releasing a man who had committed such a crime, Biden responded, “I got home innocent people.”
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