Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Prisoner Swap: Spies, a Killer, Secret Messages, and Diplomacy

The negotiations leading to the recent prisoner swap and the release of Americans wrongfully held in Russia required patience and ingenuity, ultimately giving both sides their most desired outcomes. A pivotal moment occurred on June 25, when a group of CIA officers met their Russian counterparts in a secret meeting in a Middle Eastern capital.

The Proposal

During this covert meeting, the Americans proposed a large-scale exchange involving two dozen prisoners detained in Russia, the United States, and various European countries. This ambitious and complex deal was unprecedented but offered substantial incentives for both Moscow and Western nations to agree.

Negotiation History

Negotiations between the United States and Russia over a prisoner swap had been ongoing for over a year, with intermittent glimmers of hope for the families of the American prisoners, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and security contractor Paul Whelan. These hopes were repeatedly dashed as one side or the other balked.

Breakthrough

The June meeting marked a turning point. According to American and Western officials and others familiar with the process, the Russian spies returned to Moscow with the proposal. Within days, the CIA director was on the phone with a Russian spy chief, agreeing to the broad parameters of a significant prisoner swap. On Thursday, seven different planes landed in Ankara, Turkey, where passengers were exchanged, concluding an intensive diplomatic effort conducted almost entirely in secret.

On Thursday, seven different planes touched down in Ankara, Turkey, and exchanged passengers.Credit…Serdar Ozsoy/Getty Images

The Exchange

The deal, negotiated primarily by spies and sometimes through secret messages delivered by couriers, secured the release of Gershkovich, Whelan, and 14 other Americans, Russians, and Europeans imprisoned in Russia. Among those freed was Vadim Krasikov, a Russian hitman jailed in Germany since 2019 for murdering a Chechen ex-separatist fighter in Berlin. Krasikov’s release was highly sought by Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, who had praised the killing as patriotic and insisted on Krasikov’s inclusion in any swap.

Geopolitical Context

This remarkable deal unfolded against the backdrop of the bloody war in Ukraine, where the U.S. supplies deadly weapons to Ukrainian forces. The conclusion came as President Biden, who had been personally involved in the negotiations, was losing hope of continuing his re-election bid after a disastrous televised debate and battling Covid.

Biden’s Involvement

On July 21, from his vacation home in Delaware, Biden, sick with Covid, called Slovenia’s prime minister to finalize one of the last pieces of the agreement. Less than two hours later, he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race. “The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship,” Biden said from the White House, flanked by the prisoners’ families. He praised America’s allies for their bold and brave decisions to release prisoners from their countries. “This is a very good afternoon,” Biden remarked, highlighting a rare positive moment in recent months.

Mr. Biden with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Geneva in June 2021. They agreed at their summit to have their intelligence services communicate about prisoner issues.Credit…Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Diplomatic Significance

American officials insisted the swap did not signal a new détente between Washington and Moscow but was driven by cold national interest calculations. Each side got something it wanted, demonstrating diplomacy’s potential while also sending a chilling message from Putin: he could successfully capture and hold Americans and other Westerners to recover those he sent abroad for Russia’s dirty work.

Key Arrests and Their Impact

In December 2022, Slovenian authorities arrested a couple posing as Argentine émigrés who were actually Russian “illegals” spying on foreign governments. These arrests became crucial for the prisoner exchange. The U.S. had struggled to secure Whelan’s release because there was no one in American custody the Russians deemed worthy of a swap. With the Slovenian arrests, American officials saw a new bargaining chip.

Initial Offers and Rejections

In January 2023, CIA officials held secret talks with Russian spies, offering Whelan’s release in exchange for the couple arrested in Slovenia. The Russians rejected the offer but indicated willingness to negotiate if the Americans offered more. Special envoy James P. Rubin and chief hostage negotiator Roger D. Carstens proposed “enlarging the problem” by broadening the potential swap to include many more people on both sides. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken took the proposal to President Biden, who approved it in March 2023.

Gershkovich’s Arrest

The ground shifted later that month when the Russians arrested Gershkovich and falsely accused him of espionage. The arrest brought one of America’s most influential news organizations into the diplomatic chess game. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan led the effort to secure the release of both Gershkovich and Whelan.

Russia’s Demands

It became clear that the Russians wanted Krasikov’s release. Putin saw Krasikov as a loyal soldier and his release as a signal that Russia would not abandon its agents. Rubin learned from Christo Grozev of Bellingcat that Krasikov was key to a deal, being personally close to Putin.

German Reluctance

Including Krasikov in the deal required German cooperation, posing political risks for Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The U.S. had previously failed to persuade Germany to trade Krasikov for Whelan. In April 2023, Blinken explored a deal involving imprisoned Russian dissident Aleksei A. Navalny. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was hesitant, so the White House engaged Chancellor Scholz directly.

Navalny’s Death and Renewed Efforts

Navalny’s death in a Russian penal colony in February complicated matters. However, senior American officials remained optimistic, believing Germany’s agreement to include Krasikov in principle could still lead to a deal. They proposed including other Russians wanted by Germany and Vladimir Kara-Murza, another imprisoned dissident.

Final Negotiations

In April, Biden sent Scholz the proposal, and Gershkovich’s mother appealed directly to Biden at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. On June 7, Scholz approved the deal, leading to the June 25 proposal to the Russians in the Middle East. Early last month, CIA Director William Burns and FSB head Aleksandr V. Bortnikov finalized the agreement details in Turkey.

The Exchange and Its Aftermath

On July 19, Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were sentenced in Russia, indicating a deal might be close. By Tuesday, six Russian political prisoners had disappeared, indicating preparations for the swap. On Thursday, planes in Ankara exchanged prisoners, including Russian spies posing as an Argentine couple arrested in Slovenia. Putin welcomed the returned Russians in Moscow, while Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted the freed Americans at Joint Base Andrews.

This complex, secretive negotiation, culminating in a massive prisoner exchange, underscores the intricate and often unseen world of international diplomacy.

Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian American journalist who was also released on Thursday as part of the deal, was convicted in a surprisingly speedy trial in mid-July.Credit…Associated Press.