Sen. Kaine reacts to prisoner swap that freed Gershkovich, Whelan

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine is reacting to the multi-national prisoner swap that’s bringing home several high-profile Americans home, including Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.

“These prisoner exchanges are never easy,” said Kaine. “Obviously, the Americans who were imprisoned in Russia shouldn’t have been imprisoned to begin with.”

As part of the swap, a Russian convicted of murder is returning to Moscow.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow to release people back to Russia who are so dangerous to get law-abiding journalists and others return to the United States,” said Kaine.

Despite being forced to give up several “dangerous” individuals, Kaine says the exchange was necessary to ensure that Whelan, Gershkovich and others could hug their families once again. 

“A day like today is not only good for the families of the Americans released, but it’s also good for families who are hoping their family members may be released,” Kaine said. “Because it shows how serious this administration is, and the U.S. government generally about trying to bring Americans home.”

Meanwhile, Hung Cao, Kaine’s opponent in Virginia’s 2024 U.S. Senate Race, said in a statement, “I am so thankful to see the release of American prisoners. After seeing Biden-Harris cut a plea deal with the mastermind of 9/11, I am concerned that our enemies once again got the better end of this deal. I sincerely hope this was not another case of Putin outmaneuvering the Biden-Harris team, like when we traded the world’s most dangerous arms dealer for a basketball player charged with marijuana possession.”