President Joe Biden celebrated the end of the ‘brutal ordeal’ for Americans ‘imprisoned unjustly’ inside Russia as he announced a complex prisoner swap and then led a rendition of ‘happy birthday’ to the teen daughter of a freed prisoner.
Biden made a surprise appearance inside the State Dining Room at the White House hours after the historic deal that freed American ex-Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
All were held inside Russia, Whelan since 2018, for ‘no legitimate reason whatsoever – none,’ Biden said. ‘And now they’re brutal ordeal is over and they’re free.
The president appeared with family members of freed Americans as he announced the intricate swap that released 24 prisoners and involved seven countries.
Biden, who hasn’t been seen publicly since early Tuesday, hailed the ‘feat of diplomacy’ and friendship involving multiple nations. In one awkward moment, he led the room in a round of ‘Happy Birthday’ for Miriam Butorin, the 13-year old daughter of Alsu Kurmasheva, a freed Russian-American journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Biden interrupted his remarks to bring Butorin in close, then encouraged people to join in singing, which attendees did, calling it a Biden family tradition.
President Joe Biden sings happy birthday to Miriam Butorin, 13, after delivering remarks on a prisoner swap with Russia from the State Dining Room of the White House
And he offered her some life and future dating advice while the cameras rolled.
‘Remember, no serious guys until you’re 30,’ he told her, earning some chuckles in the room.
Responding to a question from DailyMail.com, the president also defended the release of convicted hit man Vladimir Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany for the assassination of an ethnic Chechen Georgian national in broad daylight in a Berlin park.
Asked how he weighed the decision to release the hit man who was able to get away with murder, Biden responded: ‘I got home innocent people.’
Biden positioned family members behind him for the event, where he read from prepared remarks and took a series of questions from the press, at a time when the White House says he is ‘recalibrating’ his role now that he isn’t seeking reelection.
‘They never gave up hope. I can’t imagine what they’ve been through,’ he said.
President Joe Biden, right, reaches out to hold hands with Elizabeth Whelan, center, as he delivers remarks on a prisoner swap with Russia. He surrounded himself with family members of prisoners being freed in the swap as he announced the deal
Miriam Butorin, 13, wipes a tear at the White House event
Biden provided some life dating advice after the song
A plane carrying American prisoners has landed in Turkey following a major swap between Russia and the US
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is among those released from prison in Russia
He invoked his own late son Beau as he tried to describe what they grappled with. ‘Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end,’ he said.
The president said it ‘says a lot’ about American values that the U.S. also pushed for the release of Russian dissidents being held inside their country. He said they would not be free to ‘live safely abroad’ and said they would be able to continue working to promote democracy in Russia ‘if they so choose.’
Biden focused many of his remarks on the freed Americans, who also included Vladimir Kara-Murza, a journalist and Russian-British dissident also part of the swap.
He referred to the quartet by the first names.
‘This deal would not have been made possible without our allies,’ said Biden.
The White House went into overdrive Thursday, putting together the public event and briefing the press on how the historic swap came about.
Biden and VP Kamala Harris plan to go to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to greet the returning prisoners.
Biden also posted an image of Gershkovich, Whelan, and others flying back to the U.S.
‘This was vintage Joe Biden – rallying American allies to save American citizens and Russian freedom fighters,’ said White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
