MOSCOW, Aug 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Vladimir Putin thanked and congratulated eight Russian citizens released in a major prisoner swap with the West, images broadcast Thursday on state TV showed.
“I want to congratulate you on your return to the motherland,” Putin said after welcoming them at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.
Addressing those who had served in Russia’s military, he added: “I want to thank you for your loyalty to the oath, duty and the Motherland, which did not forget about you.”
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden thanked Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his role in the biggest prisoner swap with Russia since the Cold War, the Turkish presidency in ANKARA said.
“During the call, US President Biden thanked President Erdogan for his efforts to make sure that the prisoner swap unfolded smoothly,” it said.
In WASHINGTON Overjoyed family members appeared at the White House alongside Biden, who said they’d been able to phone their freed loved ones from the Oval Office.
“Their brutal ordeal is over,” Biden said.
Biden called the leaders of allies Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Norway to thank them for agreeing to free Russian prisoners under the deal, and Turkey for agreeing to host the handover.
“They made bold and brave decisions” to release Russians held for espionage and other crimes in return for the Westerners and Russian dissidents and human rights activists, he said. — NNN-AGENCIES
