Three Americans, journalist Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, have been released from Russian custody in a historic prisoner exchange involving 24 individuals. This largest exchange since the Cold War involved Russia releasing 16 prisoners while Western nations returned eight Russians, including a notorious assassin. The complex negotiations, which took over a year and included multiple countries, culminated in a welcome ceremony at Joint Base Andrews attended by President Biden and Vice President Harris. Gershkovich, who was convicted of espionage, and Whelan, who has been detained since 2018 on similar charges, have had their cases labeled as politically motivated by the U.S. government. The exchange also included Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Kremlin critic who opted to go to Germany first. Families of the released Americans expressed immense relief and joy at their return after enduring lengthy separations due to the geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Russia.