‘That had to be bittersweet’ — Biden navigates historic prisoner swap amid faltering campaign
As President Biden was contemplating stepping down from the ticket, he orchestrated one of the largest and most intricate prisoner exchanges in U.S. history.
TroibNews 
As President Joe Biden watched the fireworks light up the sky over the White House on July 4, his mind was occupied with two significant issues. Behind the scenes, an international prisoner exchange brokered by the U.S. was coming together, and his campaign was facing significant challenges.
On that day, Biden, according to his aides, seemed focused mainly on bringing home three Americans detained in Russia: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva.
For those listening to Biden's remarks on the South Lawn, the ongoing secret negotiations gave more weight to his traditional sign-off: “We gotta just remember who the hell we are,” he said. “We’re the United States of America.”
Privately, Biden and his inner circle were anxious, uncertain about the upcoming weeks. They believed their handling of July’s events was crucial both politically and personally. However, they couldn't openly discuss the significant foreign policy efforts showing the president’s engagement.
“What people didn’t know was how much was going on behind the scenes on the foreign policy front,” a U.S. official noted. “And it required the president’s attention at every turn. He was involved in every discussion.”
The efforts to free Americans from Russian custody had started well before Biden’s poor debate performance on June 27. U.S. officials highlighted that the president's decisions on the swap were not influenced by whether he would continue his presidency.
However, the timing of these negotiations etched them together in the memories of Biden’s team, some potentially viewing it as a vindication.
On July 21, one of the low points of Biden’s presidency, the knowledge that he might finally fulfill a challenging foreign policy promise offered a solitary bright moment.
“On that day, on the Sunday that he announced that he wasn’t going to run — in those same hours, he was dealing with this issue and making calls,” said U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake. “I thought that was quite extraordinary, something he’d been working on, obviously for a long time, having to close it out and get it done at the same time he was announcing — that had to be bittersweet for him.”
Biden had to wait over a week after his announcement to share the news with the public.
This account is based on interviews with 13 officials, staffers, and diplomats, many of whom requested anonymity to discuss the Biden White House's inner workings candidly. They detailed the efforts to manage a complex global negotiation while reckoning with the potential end of Biden's political career.
As calls for Biden to step down from his reelection bid intensified in early July, Biden resolutely decided to stay in the race.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Biden told “Morning Joe” in an interview on July 8.
In private, he remained confident about the success of the prisoner exchange.
On July 9, after his interview, European officials visited Washington for the annual NATO meeting. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken used this opportunity to confer with their German counterparts about the proposed swap.
By then, Russia had signaled its readiness to proceed with the exchange through intelligence channels with the U.S.
“When that happened, it was all hands on deck,” a U.S. official said.
The plan had been underway for more than a year. After WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release, Sullivan and Biden formulated a strategy to retrieve more American hostages from Russia, including Gershkovich and Whelan.
Russia had rejected an initial proposal in January 2023. Sullivan then devised a strategy involving various European countries, primarily Germany, to expand the negotiation room.
Yet, another obstacle arose in March 2023 when Russia requested the release of Vadim Krasikov, a colonel in the FSB who had assassinated a Chechen dissident in 2019. Subsequently, Gershkovich was arrested on March 29, 2023.
Throughout the rest of the year, Sullivan and CIA Director Bill Burns had multiple discussions with their European and Russian counterparts to finalize the deal. The main challenge was convincing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to release Krasikov, which his government initially resisted.
After persistent efforts, the Germans agreed. In early June, the White House made a final push to secure Russia's agreement for the swap, and the deal was approved in mid-July.
While these negotiations reached their final stages, Biden was grappling with internal resistance.
Following a shaky late June debate performance, calls for Biden to step aside grew louder, first from Republicans and then gradually from Democrats, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
In response, Biden doubled down, insisting he remained a strong candidate despite his age. Aides defended his capabilities to reporters, stating he was the leader America needed during complex global moments.
“On every issue that is of critical importance to the world ... foreign leaders have been turning to him as they always have. And when I speak to our most important allies and leaders, they have all expressed their confidence in his ability to do the job today,” Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to Biden on Middle East issues, told POLITICO.
By mid-July, the pressure for Biden to step aside reached a peak. However, while the political crisis preoccupied his campaign team, Biden’s national security staff concentrated on finalizing the prisoner swap's logistical details.
Complicating matters, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 during a campaign trip, forcing him into isolation at a critical moment.
At the Aspen Security Conference, Sullivan defended Biden, stating, “I am damn glad we have that guy sitting at the head of the table in the Situation Room.”
Simultaneously, he made last-minute calls to European colleagues about the prisoner exchange.
A legal issue in Slovenia risked derailing the entire deal. Though details remain unclear, it involved persuading Slovenian courts to release a Russian prisoner.
On July 21, still recovering from COVID-19 and isolating at his Delaware beach home, Biden called Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob to expedite the resolution so the exchange could proceed.
That same day, Biden had decided to end his political career, a reversal he accepted the previous night and finalized earlier that morning. His call with Golob would be one of his last significant communications before going public.
By then, the hostage deal was nearly complete but remained secret until the Americans were successfully transferred out of Russian custody on Thursday.
Administration officials had spent months navigating the turbulent process to reach the agreement, which Sullivan attributed to the complexities of international negotiations rather than domestic political issues.
“The different elements coming together was a feature of the diplomacy and the decision making of each of the countries involved,” Sullivan said on Thursday. “It wasn’t about American politics, the American political calendar, the president’s thinking on other issues.”
Since the deal's announcement, White House officials have emphasized that only Biden could have secured such an arrangement, citing his focus on alliances, contrasted with Trump's approach.
“This exchange is not by accident. It really is the result of a heck of a lot of leadership by President Biden and by the strength of relationships,” one U.S. official said.
Fiona Hill, a former senior Russia adviser to Trump and now a critic, remarked, “The Germans would be very unlikely to do this for Trump.”
At the podium on Thursday, surrounded by the families of the American prisoners, Biden acknowledged relying on his colleagues overseas to finalize the deal, which could define his presidency's remaining months.
“The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship,” Biden said. “I can think of nothing more consequential.”
Contributions to this report were made by Matt Berg, Miles Herszenhorn, and Nahal Toosi.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
On that day, Biden, according to his aides, seemed focused mainly on bringing home three Americans detained in Russia: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva.
For those listening to Biden's remarks on the South Lawn, the ongoing secret negotiations gave more weight to his traditional sign-off: “We gotta just remember who the hell we are,” he said. “We’re the United States of America.”
Privately, Biden and his inner circle were anxious, uncertain about the upcoming weeks. They believed their handling of July’s events was crucial both politically and personally. However, they couldn't openly discuss the significant foreign policy efforts showing the president’s engagement.
“What people didn’t know was how much was going on behind the scenes on the foreign policy front,” a U.S. official noted. “And it required the president’s attention at every turn. He was involved in every discussion.”
The efforts to free Americans from Russian custody had started well before Biden’s poor debate performance on June 27. U.S. officials highlighted that the president's decisions on the swap were not influenced by whether he would continue his presidency.
However, the timing of these negotiations etched them together in the memories of Biden’s team, some potentially viewing it as a vindication.
On July 21, one of the low points of Biden’s presidency, the knowledge that he might finally fulfill a challenging foreign policy promise offered a solitary bright moment.
“On that day, on the Sunday that he announced that he wasn’t going to run — in those same hours, he was dealing with this issue and making calls,” said U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake. “I thought that was quite extraordinary, something he’d been working on, obviously for a long time, having to close it out and get it done at the same time he was announcing — that had to be bittersweet for him.”
Biden had to wait over a week after his announcement to share the news with the public.
This account is based on interviews with 13 officials, staffers, and diplomats, many of whom requested anonymity to discuss the Biden White House's inner workings candidly. They detailed the efforts to manage a complex global negotiation while reckoning with the potential end of Biden's political career.
As calls for Biden to step down from his reelection bid intensified in early July, Biden resolutely decided to stay in the race.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Biden told “Morning Joe” in an interview on July 8.
In private, he remained confident about the success of the prisoner exchange.
On July 9, after his interview, European officials visited Washington for the annual NATO meeting. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken used this opportunity to confer with their German counterparts about the proposed swap.
By then, Russia had signaled its readiness to proceed with the exchange through intelligence channels with the U.S.
“When that happened, it was all hands on deck,” a U.S. official said.
The plan had been underway for more than a year. After WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release, Sullivan and Biden formulated a strategy to retrieve more American hostages from Russia, including Gershkovich and Whelan.
Russia had rejected an initial proposal in January 2023. Sullivan then devised a strategy involving various European countries, primarily Germany, to expand the negotiation room.
Yet, another obstacle arose in March 2023 when Russia requested the release of Vadim Krasikov, a colonel in the FSB who had assassinated a Chechen dissident in 2019. Subsequently, Gershkovich was arrested on March 29, 2023.
Throughout the rest of the year, Sullivan and CIA Director Bill Burns had multiple discussions with their European and Russian counterparts to finalize the deal. The main challenge was convincing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to release Krasikov, which his government initially resisted.
After persistent efforts, the Germans agreed. In early June, the White House made a final push to secure Russia's agreement for the swap, and the deal was approved in mid-July.
While these negotiations reached their final stages, Biden was grappling with internal resistance.
Following a shaky late June debate performance, calls for Biden to step aside grew louder, first from Republicans and then gradually from Democrats, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
In response, Biden doubled down, insisting he remained a strong candidate despite his age. Aides defended his capabilities to reporters, stating he was the leader America needed during complex global moments.
“On every issue that is of critical importance to the world ... foreign leaders have been turning to him as they always have. And when I speak to our most important allies and leaders, they have all expressed their confidence in his ability to do the job today,” Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to Biden on Middle East issues, told POLITICO.
By mid-July, the pressure for Biden to step aside reached a peak. However, while the political crisis preoccupied his campaign team, Biden’s national security staff concentrated on finalizing the prisoner swap's logistical details.
Complicating matters, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 during a campaign trip, forcing him into isolation at a critical moment.
At the Aspen Security Conference, Sullivan defended Biden, stating, “I am damn glad we have that guy sitting at the head of the table in the Situation Room.”
Simultaneously, he made last-minute calls to European colleagues about the prisoner exchange.
A legal issue in Slovenia risked derailing the entire deal. Though details remain unclear, it involved persuading Slovenian courts to release a Russian prisoner.
On July 21, still recovering from COVID-19 and isolating at his Delaware beach home, Biden called Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob to expedite the resolution so the exchange could proceed.
That same day, Biden had decided to end his political career, a reversal he accepted the previous night and finalized earlier that morning. His call with Golob would be one of his last significant communications before going public.
By then, the hostage deal was nearly complete but remained secret until the Americans were successfully transferred out of Russian custody on Thursday.
Administration officials had spent months navigating the turbulent process to reach the agreement, which Sullivan attributed to the complexities of international negotiations rather than domestic political issues.
“The different elements coming together was a feature of the diplomacy and the decision making of each of the countries involved,” Sullivan said on Thursday. “It wasn’t about American politics, the American political calendar, the president’s thinking on other issues.”
Since the deal's announcement, White House officials have emphasized that only Biden could have secured such an arrangement, citing his focus on alliances, contrasted with Trump's approach.
“This exchange is not by accident. It really is the result of a heck of a lot of leadership by President Biden and by the strength of relationships,” one U.S. official said.
Fiona Hill, a former senior Russia adviser to Trump and now a critic, remarked, “The Germans would be very unlikely to do this for Trump.”
At the podium on Thursday, surrounded by the families of the American prisoners, Biden acknowledged relying on his colleagues overseas to finalize the deal, which could define his presidency's remaining months.
“The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship,” Biden said. “I can think of nothing more consequential.”
Contributions to this report were made by Matt Berg, Miles Herszenhorn, and Nahal Toosi.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
