An emotional scene unfolded late Thursday as the families of three Russian prisoners greeted the trio, who arrived in a small plane following a historic prisoner swap with Russia.
President Joe Biden saluted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, as he walked up to the plane on the tarmac. He and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted Whelan first, who was servicing a years-long sentence in Russia. Whelan embraced the vice president before hugging his sister as cheers erupted on the platform.
Gershkovich embraced Harris, then shook Biden's hand and hugged the president. Gershkovich then hugged his mother and lifted her off the ground before embracing others who came to greet him.
The third American freed in the swap, Kurmasheva, embraced her teen daughters — one of whom was to celebrate her birthday Friday — in a tearful reunion on the tarmac as Whelan resumed conversations with the president.
As the families embraced, Biden told reporters Slovenia came in at the last minute to help.
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"Slovenia made the right move at the right time," he said.
Harris called the reunion an "extraordinary day," and thanked Biden for bringing allies together.
"This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy," she said.
The event marked the largest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, according to The Associated Press. The multinational deal set two dozen people free.
Watch the emotional clip below or at this link.
