photo: whitehouse.gov
WASHINGTON - The White House. The U.S. president received some of the released prisoners from the Russian Federation. Here's a live transcript of the conversation from their meeting.
President Joe Biden:
Hello, everyone.
Do we have all of them?
Good afternoon. And this is a very good afternoon - a very good afternoon.
Today we bring home Paul, Evan, Alsa and Vladimir - three American citizens and one US green card holder.
All four have been unjustly imprisoned in Russia: Paul has been in prison in Russia for almost six years, Vladimir since 2022, Evan since March 2023 and Alsu since October 2023.
The Russian authorities arrested them, convicted them in show trials and sentenced them to long prison terms for no legitimate reason. None.
Paul, a former Marine who was in Russia for a wedding.
Evan, a journalist, with a Russian - in Russia - was - was assigned to the Wall Street Journal in Russia.
Alsu, also a journalist, was in Russia visiting family.
All three were falsely accused of being spies.
And Vladimir, who is a native Russian citizen and has an American green card, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and was with me at the funeral of my friend John McCain. He spoke out against the Putin regime, for which he was convicted of treason.
And now their cruel ordeal is over and they are free.
We were able to speak to their families by phone from the Oval Office a few moments ago.
They're out of Russia.
Earlier today they were airlifted to Turkey. And soon they will be on their bikes on their way home to their families.
It is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here. And it's a relief for friends and colleagues from all over the country who have been praying for this day for a long time.
The agreement that made this possible was a work of diplomacy and friendship - friendship. More than one country helped to make it happen. At my request, they engaged in difficult and complex negotiations. And I personally thank them all once again. And I personally thanked them and I will thank them again.
In total, Russia released 16 prisoners. Eight Russians who were detained in the West will also be sent home. These 16 Russian prisoners - whom Russia has released - include 4 Americans, 5 Germans and 7 Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their country.
One of these Russians leads the human rights organization Memorial, which won the Nobel Prize in 2022. Putin threw him in jail for expressing opposition to the war in Ukraine.
The other four worked with Alexei Navalny, a political opposition leader who died this year in a Russian prison.
They can now live in safety abroad and continue their work as defenders of democracy if they so choose.
This agreement would not have been possible without our allies Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey. They have all taken our side. They have stood by us and made courageous and brave decisions, releasing prisoners held in their countries who were rightly detained and providing logistical support to bring Americans home.
So for anyone who doubts whether allies matter, they do. They matter.
And today is a powerful example of why it is so vital to have friends in the world - friends you can trust, work with and rely on, especially in matters as serious and sensitive as this.
Our alliances make our people safer, and today we have begun to see that again.
Let me say this. It says a lot about the United States that we are working tirelessly to free Americans who are being unjustly detained around the world. It says a lot about us that this agreement includes the release of Russian political prisoners.
They stood up for democracy and human rights. Their own leaders threw them in jail. The United States also helped secure their release. That is who we are in the United States.
We stand for freedom, liberty and justice - not just for our own people, but for others. And that is why all Americans can be proud of what we have achieved today.
I want to thank all the members of my administration who have been involved in this. Our work didn't just start on day one. It started before the first day.
During the transition, I tasked our national security team to look into all the incidents of unauthorized hostage-taking that were inherently - well, we inherited them from the previous administration. I wanted to make sure that we got on top of it, and we did.
To date, my administration has brought home more than 70 Americans who have been wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad, many of them before I took office.
In addition, I issued an executive order in 2022 authorizing sanctions, such as penalties and travel bans, against those who detain Americans against their will. And my State Department has put in place new warnings for Americans about the risk of being wrongfully detained by a foreign government.
Agreements like this come with tough requirements and there are never any guarantees. But nothing matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad. And so we will continue to seek the release of all wrongfully detained Americans around the world.
Let me end where I started - with Paul, Evan and Alsa, Vladimir and their families.
They never gave up hope. We can't imagine what they went through - all of you. After all, this lady here, I think, lived with us for a while in the Oval Office.
But joking aside, I can't imagine how happy they are right now. They're home.
Tomorrow is a big day - Miriam's thirteenth birthday. Miriam, where are you? Come here.
You all know we have a tradition in the Biden family. We sing "Happy Birthday" every birthday. You ready for this? Everybody's ready.
(Singing "Happy Birthday.")
Remember, you don't have any serious relationships until you're 30. (Laughter.) God loves you.
It's Alsu's daughter. Now she can celebrate with her mom.
That's what it's all about: families can be together again, as they should have been from the beginning.
Therefore, I would like to thank once again all those who have contributed to this. In a few hours, we will welcome home our fellow Americans.
We're looking forward to it. God willing, we'll be in Andrews and we'll make it.
So thank you, thank you, thank you. And this is a good day.
Q What did you say to them on the phone, sir? What did you say to them when they answered the phone on the other end?
THE PRESIDENT: I said, "Welcome almost home." And then I said, "What's going on?"
(Cross talk.)
Mr. President, how will you prevent other countries, so-called "kidnapping countries," from simply taking more Americans to get more of their prisoners home? How will you put an end to these perverse incentives, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: By advising people not to go to certain places and telling them what they're at risk of and what's at stake.
Question: Mr President, has there been a breakthrough in these negotiations? And can you comment on the complexity of working with six countries to - to secure the release of these individuals?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, look, I'm not going to take the time to do it now, but I'll do it later in the week.
In particular, I owe a great sense of gratitude to the Chancellor. The demands they made on me required me to obtain from Germany some important concessions which they had originally concluded they could not make because of the person concerned.
But they all got to their feet. Poland joined in. Slovenia joined in. Turkey joined in. And relationships matter. It really matters. These things matter.
Question: Could this improve relations with Russia, Mr. President?
PRESIDENT: Excuse me?
Question: Could this improve relations with Russia? Is there any way to do that after this prisoner exchange agreement?
THE PRESIDENT: As my sister would say, "Your lips to God's ears, man." That's true. I -
(Cross talk.)
Q Mr. President, have you spoken to -
Q Have you ever spoken directly to Vladimir Putin about this? Or would you be willing to talk to Putin, now, directly?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't need to talk to Putin.
(Cross-examination.)
THE PRESIDENT: Anyway -
(Overhearing.)
Q (Inaudible.) What - how did you weigh the decision to let someone out who, it sounds like, has now gotten away with murder?
THE PRESIDENT: I got innocent people home. Thank you.
(Cross talk.)
Okay, okay, okay, okay. Thank you, everyone.
(Cross talk.)
Q How do you look at it as a father?
Q Have you spoken to Erdogan or any of the leaders about this?
THE PRESIDENT: Say that again?
Question: Are you talking to President Erdoğan or other leaders about this?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I have spoken to all the leaders about this.
Question: What did you say...
THE PRESIDENT: And by the way, as a father - look, you've heard me say this before, and I mean it. My father had a simple proposition: family is the beginning, the middle and the end. Blood of my blood and bone of my bone.
I couldn't imagine anything more consistent. I mean that sincerely. And losing family, not - in a different way and not knowing what their circumstances are when they're random would help - it - it depends. It does matter. (Inaudible.)
Question: Mr. President, what did Germany ask for in return for cooperation?
THE PRESIDENT: Nothing.
Question: President Biden -
Q What did Chancellor Scholz tell you?
Q President Trump has said repeatedly that he could have gotten the hostages out without giving anything in return. What do you say to that? Q What do you say to President Trump - now former President Trump?
THE PRESIDENT: Why didn't he do that when he was president?
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