American Detainees Freed: President Biden’s Diplomatic Triumph in Russia

Remarks by President Biden on Freeing Americans Detained in Russia

AUGUST 01, 2024

12:18 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  (Addressing the families.)  Your markers here. 

Hello, everyone. 

We got everybody? 

Well, good afternoon.  And this is a very good afternoon — a very good afternoon. 

Today, we’re bringing home Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir — three American citizens and one American green-card holder. 

All four have been imprisoned unjustly in Russia: Paul for nearly six years, Vladimir since 2022, Evan since March of 2023, and Alsu since October of 2023. 

Russian authorities arrested them, convicted them in show trials, and sentenced them to long prison terms with absolutely no legitimate reason whatsoever.  None. 

Paul, a former Marine, who was in Russia for a wedding. 

Evan, a journalist, with the Russian — in Russia — was a — was in Russia assigned by the Wall Street Journal. 

Alsu, also a journalist, was in Russia to see family. 

All three falsely accused of being spies. 

And Vladimir, who is a Russian citizen by birth and holds an American green card, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and was a pallbearer at my friend John McCain’s funeral with me.  He spoke out against Putin’s regime, and for that he was convicted of treason. 

And now their brutal ordeal is over, and they’re free. 

Moments ago, the families and I were able to speak to them on the telephone from the Oval Office.

They’re out of Russia. 

Earlier today, they were flown to Turkey.  And soon, they’ll be wheels up on their way home to see their families. 

This is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here.  And it’s a relief to the friends and colleagues all across the country who’ve been praying for this day for a long time. 

The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship — friendship.  Multiple countries helped get this done.  They joined a difficult, complex negotiations at my request.  And I personally thank them all again.  And I’ve thanked them personally, and I’ll thank them again.  

All told, Russia has released 16 prisoners.  Eight Russians who were being held in the West will be sent home as well.  Those 16 prisoners from Russia have — that Russia has released include 4 Americans, 5 Germans, 7 Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country. 

One of those Russians runs the human rights organization Memorial, which won a Nobel Prize in 2022.  Putin threw him in prison for voicing opposition to the war in Ukraine. 

Four others worked with Aleksey Navalny, the political opposition leader who died in Russian prison this year. 

Now they can live safely abroad and continue their work of advocating for democracy if they so choose. 

This deal would not have been made possible without our allies Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey.  They all stepped up, and they stood with us.  They stood with us, and they made bold and brave decisions, released prisoners being held in their countries who were justifiably being held, and provided logistical support to get the Americans home. 

So, for anyone who questions whether allies matter, they do.  They matter. 

And today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world — friends you can trust, work with, and depend upon, especially on matters of great consequence and sensitivity like this. 

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

Let me say this.  It says a lot about the United States that we work relentlessly to free Americans who are unjustly held around the world.  It also says a lot about us that this deal includes the release of Russian political prisoners. 

They stood up for democracy and human rights.  Their own leaders threw them in prison.  The United States helped secure their release as well.  That’s who we are in the United States.

We stand for freedom, for liberty, for justice — not only for our own people but for others as well.  And that’s why all Americans can take pride in what we’ve achieved today. 

I want to thank everyone in my administration who helped make this happen.  Our work did not start just on day one.  It started before day one. 

During the transition, I instructed our national security team to dig into all the cases of hostages being wrongfully detained, which were inherently — well, we inherited them from the pri- — the prior administration.  I wanted to make sure we’d hit the ground running, and we did. 

As of today, my administration has brought home over 70 Americans who were wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad, many since before I took office. 

Additionally, I issued an executive order in 2022 authorizing penalties like sanctions and travel bans on those who hold Americans against their will.  And my State Department has introduced new warnings for Americans about the risk of being wrongfully detained by a foreign government. 

Deals like this one come with tough calls, and there are never any guarantees.  But there’s nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad.  And so, we’ll continue to work for the release of all wrongfully detained Americans around the world. 

Let me end where I began — with Paul, Evan, and Alsu, Vladimir, and their families. 

They never gave up hope.  We can’t imagine what they’ve been through — all of you.  Matter of fact, this lady right here, I think, was living in the Oval Office with us for a while. 

But all kidding aside, I can’t imagine their joy right now.  They’re home.

Tomorrow is a big day — the 13th birthday of Miriam.  Miriam, where are you?  Come here.

You all know we have a tradition in the Biden family.  We sing “Happy Birthday” on any birthday.  You ready?  All of you.

(Sings “Happy Birthday.”)

Remember, no serious guys until you’re 30.  (Laughter.)  God love you.

She’s Alsu’s daughter.  Now she gets to celebrate with her mom. 

That’s what this is all about: Families able to be together again, like they should have been all along. 

So, I want to thank you again, to everyone who did their part.  In just a few hours, we’ll welcome home our fellow Americans.

We’re looking forward to that.  God willing, we’re going to be out at Andrews and get that done.

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 when they answered the phone on the other side?

THE PRESIDENT:  I said, “Welcome almost home.” 

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Mr. President, how do you keep other — how do you keep countries — these so-called “abductor states” — from simply taking more Americans in order to get more of their prisoners home?  How do you end these perverse incentives, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  By r- — advising people not to go certain places, telling them what’s at s- — at risk and what’s at stake.

Q    Mr. President, was there a turning point in these negotiations?  And can you speak to the complexity of working with six countries to — to secure these releases?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, look, I’m not going to take the time now, but I’ll do this later in the week.

I particularly owe a great sense of gratitude to the — the chancellor.  The demands they were making of me required me to get some significant concessions from Germany, which they originally concluded they could not do because of the person in question.

But everybody stepped up.  Poland stepped up.  Slovenia stepped up.  Turkey stepped up.  And it — it matters to have relationships.  It really does.  These things matter.

Q    Could this improve relations with Russia, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  Pardon me?

Q    Could this improve relations with Russia?  Is there any avenue for that after this prisoner exchange deal?

THE PRESIDENT:  As my sister might say, “Your lips to God’s ears, man.”  I —

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Mr. President, did you speak to —

Q    Did you ever speak directly with Vladimir Putin about this?  Or would you be willing to speak with Putin, now, directly?

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t need to speak with Putin.

(Cross-talk.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Anyway —

(Cross-talk.)

Q    (Inaudible.)  What — how did you weigh that decision of letting somebody out who, sounds like, got away with murder now?

THE PRESIDENT:  I got home innocent people.  Thank you.

(Cross-talk.)

All right.  Thanks, everybody.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    As a father, how do you feel about this?

Q    Are you speaking with Erdoğan or any of the leaders about this?

THE PRESIDENT:  Say that again?

Q    Are you speaking with President Erdoğan or other leaders about this?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, I’ve spoken with all the leaders about this.

Q    What did you say to —

THE PRESIDENT:  And, by the way, as a father — look, you heard me say this before, and I mean it.  My dad had a simple proposition: Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end.  Blood of my blood and bone of my bone.

I could think of nothing more consequential.  I mean this sincerely.  And having lost family, not — in a different way and not knowing what’s happening their circumstance when they’re accidental, would it help — it — it matters.  It matters.  (Inaudible.)

Q    Mr. President, what did Germany ask for in response for their cooperation?

THE PRESIDENT:  Nothing.

Q    President Biden —

Q    What did Chancellor Scholz say to you?

Q    President Trump has said repeatedly that he could have gotten the hostages out without giving anything in exchange.  What do you say to that?  What do you say to President Trump — now former President Trump?

THE PRESIDENT:  Why didn’t he do it when he was president?

 12:29 P.M. EDT