There were cries of joy as Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan, and Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva stepped off the plane at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Thursday evening. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were the first to embrace Gershkovich, who then went on to his family and colleagues.
He expressed happiness that Russians were also among those released, international media quoted the 32-year-old, who had been arrested 16 months ago while researching Russia’s hostage strategy aimed at extorting prisoners and became a pawn himself.
Among the 16 Americans, Russians, and Germans released by Russia were “seasoned dissidents who survived poisonings and hunger strikes,” as well as “ordinary Americans who suddenly found themselves as bargaining chips in a years-long geopolitical tug-of-war with Vladimir Putin,” the Wall Street Journal, for which Gershkovich works, reported.
The price of their freedom had been clear for years: Putin wanted Vadim Krassikov released, since the so-called Tiergarten killer had been sentenced to life imprisonment after murdering a Chechen exile in broad daylight in Berlin in 2019. Various rumors abound regarding why Putin was so eager to “get Krassikov back,” ranging from special knowledge from his time as Putin’s bodyguard to carrying out contract killings at his command.
Driving Force: Ella Gershkovich
On Thursday, a deal that had been in the works for years came to fruition, in which Gershkovich’s mother, Ella, was evidently a driving force just like Putin himself. Besides Krassikov, seven other Russians from the USA, Norway, Slovenia, and Poland were sent back to Moscow, including several spies.
Upon their arrival at the government terminal of Vnukovo Airport, they were personally greeted by Putin. The presidential guard was lined up, and intelligence chiefs Alexander Bortnikov and Sergei Naryshkin, as well as Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, were also present.
Putin welcomed Krassikov with a brief hug, which, as we learned from Spielberg’s The Bridge of Spies, is a good sign for the convicted murderer. Additionally, Russia’s president promised all returnees state honors. “I will see you again, and we will talk about your future,” Welt quoted Putin.
Interview Request to Putin
Gershkovich, who was the first foreign reporter in Russia to be convicted of espionage since the end of the Cold War, had been held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day in a nearly 3 by 3.5-meter cell in the notorious Stalin-era Lefortovo prison outside Moscow.
Upon his release, the Wall Street Journal reported that he had to sign an official pardon request to President Putin. The standard form contained a blank field in which the prisoner was to direct a wish to the president. Gershkovich politely asked whether Putin would be willing to grant an interview after his release.