Prisoner swap could be sign of something major to come

It is, by a long way, the most elaborate and comprehensive East-West prisoner exchange since the Cold War, involving 24 individuals from at least half a dozen countries.

- MARY DEJEVSKY

Those freed include the US journalist, Evan Gershkovich; the UK-Russian opposition campaigner, Vladimir Kara-Murza; and the former US marine, Paul Whelan. And it comes at a time when relations between Russia and the West could hardly be more frigid or present a greater risk to European – if not global – peace.

In historical terms, such an apparent contradiction should not raise too many eyebrows. Such swaps have a habit of coming at some of the lowest points in international relations. Now, as then, this exchange offers not just a chink of light in the almost unrelieved gloom, but proof that behind the facade of total estrangement, some channels have remained open.

Of all those exchanged as part of this deal, the greatest prize for the United States (and the greatest loss, as a bargaining chip) to the Russians may be Whelan, serving 16 years for espionage. He is a quadruple national – US, Canada, UK and Irish – although it is the US that has led calls for his release, and he has been passed over in previous swaps.

Gershkovich was detained in March last year and sentenced last month to 16 years in prison for spying – charges he, his employer The Wall Street Journal, and the state department all fiercely deny.

Kara-Murza had begun a 25-year sentence on treason and other charges after returning to Russia in 2022. Also included is a USRussian citizen, Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist at the US-funded Radio Liberty, who had been detained during a visit to relatives and sentenced to six and a half years for disseminating false information (on the Russia-Ukraine war).