President Biden Reveals What Went Into The Prisoner Exchange With Russia, Freeing Whelan, Gershkovic

4 months ago

President Biden praised US allies who helped facilitate the release of American prisoners held in Russia.

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Transcript

00:00The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship, friendship.

00:08Multiple countries helped get this done.

00:10They joined the difficult, complex negotiations at my request, and I personally thank them

00:16all again.

00:17I thank them personally, and I thank them again.

00:19All told, Russia has released 16 prisoners.

00:23Eight Russians who are being held in the West will be sent home as well.

00:28These 16 prisoners from Russia that Russia has released include four Americans, five

00:33Germans, seven Russian citizens who are political prisoners in their own country.

00:39One of those Russians runs a human rights organization, Memorial, which won a Nobel

00:44Prize in 2022.

00:47Putin threw him in prison for voicing opposition to the war in Ukraine.

00:51Four others worked with Alexei Navalny, a political opposition leader who died in Russia

00:56prison this year.

00:58Now they can live safely abroad and continue their work of advocating for democracy, if

01:04they so choose.

01:06This deal would not have been made possible without our allies.

01:09Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey, they all stepped up, and they stood with us.

01:16They stood with us, and they made bold and brave decisions, released prisoners being

01:21held in their countries who are justifiably being held, and provided logistical support

01:26to get the Americans home.

01:28So for anyone who questions whether allies matter, they do.

01:33They matter.

01:34And today is a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world, friends

01:39you can trust, work with, and depend upon, especially on matters of great consequence

01:44and sensitivity like this.

01:47Our alliances make our people safer, and we began to see that again today.

01:53Let me say this, it says a lot about the United States that we work relentlessly to

01:58free Americans who are unjustly held around the world.

02:02It also says a lot about us that this deal includes the release of Russian political

02:07prisoners.

02:08They stood up for democracy and human rights.

02:11Their own leaders threw them in prison.

02:13The United States helped secure their release as well.

02:17That's who we are in the United States.

02:19We stand for freedom, for liberty, for justice, not only for our own people, but for others

02:26as well.

02:27And that's why all Americans can take pride in what we've achieved today.

President Biden Reveals What Went Into The Prisoner Exchange With Russia, Freeing Whelan, Gershkovic

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