Former CIA Director John Brennan said Thursday’s prisoner swap that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was a “remarkable display” of “successful” diplomacy by the Biden administration.
“This is an unprecedented deal,” Brennan told host Ali Velshi on MSNBC’s “Deadline: The White House,” “and this is a fantastic demonstration of very effective and successful statecraft and diplomacy by the Biden-Harris administration.”
Gershkovich was released in Thursday’s swap along with former U.S. Marines Paul Whelan, Ars Kurmaseva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, five Germans and seven Russians.
“This is a continuation of the ongoing dialogue between the United States and Russia surrounding the release of the individuals,” Brennan said.
“We celebrate the return of Paul, Evan, Ars and Vladimir and rejoice with their families,” President Biden said in a statement Thursday.
“We remember those who have been unjustly detained or held hostage around the world, and I reiterate my pledge to their families: We see you,” Biden said. continuation“We are with you and we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong.”
In a letter dated Thursday, Emma Tucker, editor-in-chief of the journal “We thank President Biden and his administration for their tenacity and determination in bringing Evan home instead of sending him to a Russian labor camp for a crime he did not commit,” the paper said.
“We are also grateful to other governments who helped bring an end to Evan’s nightmare, particularly the German government, who played a vital role,” Tucker continued in the letter.
