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"Happy to be back home," ex-Marine Paul Whelan said following his ordeal in a Russian prison.

"I would get this done even if I was seeking a second term," Biden stated.
After he and three other prisoners were able to return to the United States through a historic, multi-country prisoner swap, the former Marine who had spent more than 2,000 days in Russian custody spoke up.

At Joint Base San Antonio, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva officially began their next chapter—free and back home in the United States—when they departed just before 4:30 a.m. eastern time.

The three hoisted up the Hostages and Wrongful Detainees banner and embraced for a picture with their loved ones.

Whelan pointed to the final three slash marks on the flag's bottom and stated, "This is us down here."

They were met by officials upon arrival, who instructed them on what to do immediately. Col. Davis clarified that their families would spend the night in hotels off base while they were sent for a medical evaluation first.

At Joint Base Andrews, Whelan wore the American flag pin that President Biden had given him—"It's a keepsake."

The "nonsense narrative [the Russian government] came up with" to justify his arrest was blasted by Whelan.

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Thus, this is the manner in which Putin manages his government. Putin governs his nation in this manner. Yes, I'm happy to be at home. Yes. "I'm not going back there ever again," he grinned.

Thousands of letters of support had been sent to him, he added, so numerous that the Russian Federal Security Service "stopped giving them to him."

"I simply want to thank everyone. I appreciate all of your well-wishes and prayers, as you are aware. I appreciate what you accomplished," he remarked.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that working on the agreement that resulted in the return of the American captives was one of the greatest honors of his life as he discussed the moving events on "Good Morning America" on Friday morning.

It was truly a triumph for humanity. Three defenseless individuals were reunited with their loved ones and families. It was quite amazing to witness that, Sullivan remarked. However, I believe that it was also a win for our nation. Working with our allies to assist release freedom fighters and bring our people home safely was the epitome of what the United States of America was all about. Russians imprisoned for their democratic struggle. One of the most amazing honors of my life was that."

Sullivan was also asked to address allegations that these kinds of agreements just serve to motivate Putin to continue imprisoning Americans and using them as leverage in future negotiations.

"Over the past three and a half years, we examined the evidence. There were more wrongfully imprisoned Americans abroad at the start of the Biden administration than there are now, according to Sullivan. We have negotiated the departure of seventy Americans. Not another seventy Americans have been seized. Could that eventually change? That is conceivable. When making difficult decisions, like the president did to bring Americans home, you have to consider these dangers. The arrangement made sense from a cost-benefit perspective because America benefited and innocent Americans are now safe and at home."
The three Americans who had been released from Russian prison were welcomed back to American territory and reunited with their families by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

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As soon as the former Marine stepped onto the tarmac, Vice President Biden gave him a hug. Elizabeth Whelan, Whelan's sister, was waiting for him on the tarmac upon his landing.

There was a cheer as Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich stepped onto the tarmac. He shook hands with Biden and they conversed for a while before the journalist and his mother, Ella Milman, hugged for a long while, at one point picking each other up.

Biden and Harris also greeted Alsu Kurmasheva with warmth. She was reunited with her girls in a heartfelt moment, and then Biden came over and spoke with them while they hugged.

Biden engaged in highly informal interactions with the media, jumping at the chance to have many conversations with reporters on the tarmac.

In response to a reporter's question about whether he ever imagined this day would arrive, Biden said simply, "yes." In response to the question of what gave him such confidence, he claimed that it was his connections with "other heads of state."

Following the release of the former inmates and their return to US territory, Biden was also questioned about his message to Vladimir Putin.

"Cease," stated Biden.
Additionally, Biden claimed that the scene behind him embodied the "essence" of America.

"This speaks to me about the core of our national identity. It truly comes down to interpersonal relationships, stated Biden. It has to do with family. It all comes down to having access to the people you care about."

A reporter questioned him about the most difficult aspect of closing the sale.

"The toughest call was for one of the other countries because I asked them to do some things that were against their immediate self-interest," Biden stated. "They found it quite tough, especially in Germany. Slovenia truly arrived at the eleventh hour, and the chancellor was amazing, I must say."

In addition, Biden was questioned about whether he had made calls to close this agreement in the same hour that he declared his intention to withdraw from the 2024 presidential contest.

In the event that I ran for reelection, I would still finish this. "You have to accept that I will be your president for a while, child; there's no turning back," Biden remarked. "You have me for at least the next 100, maybe 90 days. That was the reason for it. It had to do with the chance to persuade one final nation to say, "Okay, they'll step up."

In response to a question about whether this agreement would go down in history, Biden backed off, suggesting that it would be best discussed "at another time."

The Kurmasheva family could be heard sobbing behind Harris as she spoke, "This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances this criticism, incredible day saving families, in their eyes and in their cries."