Biden Administration Secures Release of Americans Unjustly Detained by Russian Regime

To quote President Biden: “Today is a great day.”

It began with news of a potential major prisoner swap deal involving several countries and up to 24 individuals. A few hours later, the exciting news was confirmed: unjustly detained Americans are coming home from Russia.

Here is the statement from President Biden released by the White House:

The families of the newly freed detainees joined President Biden at the White House to share the announcement with the public. On this already emotional day, President Biden warmed everyone’s hearts by following the "Biden family tradition" and singing “Happy Birthday” to Miriam, the 13-year-old daughter of Alsu Kurmasheva, who is now free and on her way home.

During a brief interaction with the press pool, President Biden was asked to address the false narrative spread by Donald Trump and his team, who claimed the release was due to the Kremlin anticipating Trump’s return to the Oval Office. In return, Biden questioned why Trump, who had the opportunity as President during his first term, did not secure the release of these prisoners.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan joined the White House Press Briefing to provide details on the process. He expressed gratitude to all team members involved in this historic success and noted that President Biden had been engaged in multinational negotiations up until an hour before announcing his decision to step out of the race on July 21st.

Sullivan emphasized that a deal might not have been reached without Joe Biden’s presence in the Oval Office, highlighting the administration’s reliance on his negotiation skills, wisdom, and relationships with world leaders. He also noted that Vice President Harris was a key member of the core team that made this possible. Regarding Trump and JD Vance’s claims attributing the success to Trump, Sullivan simply stated, “I don’t follow.”

This historic day will be remembered as one of the most significant moments for democracy worldwide.