RIYADH: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that he was grateful to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for helping to arrange the largest prisoner swap between the United States (US) and Russia since the Cold War, Saudi Gazette reported on Thursday.
Journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan returned to the US on August 1, hours after being freed from the Russian detention, as part of the largest prisoner swap between the two countries since the Cold War.
The swap deal included the release of 24 prisoners, 16 of whom were returned to the West from Russia, while eight moved to Russia from the West.
Vladimir Putin, while addressing the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, said: “Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince played an active role in the initial stages of this work. We are very grateful to him, as it led to the return of our citizens to the homeland.”
The Russian leader also thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for offering the venue for the exchange. He said that several other Arab countries facilitated the prisoner swap.
On 1 August 2024, the United States and Russia conducted a major prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War, involving the release of 26 prisoners.
