– A Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, and a former U.S. Marine, Paul Whelan, have been released from Russian custody in a prisoner swap.
– There were a total of 24 prisoners across six countries being swapped.
– President Joe Biden negotiated the deal, which is his second high-profile prisoner swap with Russia.
– The U.S. State Department claims Russia weaponizes political prisoners, while Russia disputes the claim.
– The swap is a rare moment of cooperation between Russia and political adversaries in the West, amid tensions over the Russia-Ukraine war.
– Former President Donald Trump made no public statements about Whelan when he was arrested in 2018 but was vocal about him while Biden was in office.
– This is at least the second high-profile swap for Biden, with another involving basketball player Brittney Griner.