![Prisoneer swap with Russia](https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/06/27/USAT/74238113007-afp-2158725764.jpg?crop=1198,673,x0,y0&width=660&height=372&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
"I am grateful to our Allies who stood with us throughout tough, complex negotiations to achieve this outcome," President Joe Biden said in a statement announcing the deal. "This is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon."
The exchange of 24 prisoners follows months of negotiations and marks a rare moment of cooperation between Russia and its geopolitical adversaries in the West after more than two years of Russia's war in Ukraine. The prisoner swap involves the release of 16 individuals previously detained in Russia in exchange for eight individuals held in the U.S., Germany, Norway, Slovenia and Poland.