Biden Praises Golob for Major Prisoner Swap

President Joe Biden commended Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob for his pivotal role in a historic seven-nation prisoner swap that successfully freed Americans Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Paul Whelan from Russian custody. Completed in August, this exchange was the largest U.S.-Russian prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, involving 24 individuals and requiring significant diplomatic negotiations, including concessions from Slovenia, which released two Russian spies. Biden expressed gratitude for Golob's leadership, stating, "You made it possible. That's not hyperbole." The Dultsevs, the spies released, had been living undercover in Slovenia and were arrested in 2022. Golob emphasized the importance of international cooperation, stating that the swap illustrated that with true friends, "nothing is impossible." This meeting marked Golob as only the third Slovenian prime minister to visit the White House for discussions with a U.S. president since 2006.