The United States and Russia carried out their largest prisoner exchange since the post-Soviet era on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist Evan Gershkovich, fellow American Paul Whelan, and dissidents including Vladimir Kara-Murza. In a multinational deal, two dozen people were set free.

Gershkovich, Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist with dual U.S.-Russia citizenship, arrived in the U.S. shortly before midnight and were joyfully reunited with their families. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were present at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to greet them and share in the celebrations.

This exchange took place despite U.S.-Russia relations being at their lowest point since the Cold War, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Backchannel negotiators initially considered an exchange involving Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. However, after his death in February, a 24-person deal was assembled, involving significant concessions from European allies, including the release of a Russian assassin. This deal secured the freedom of journalists, suspected spies, political prisoners, and others.

President Biden hailed the swap as a significant diplomatic achievement while welcoming the families of the returning Americans to the White House. However, the deal highlighted an inherent imbalance: the U.S. and its allies released Russians charged or convicted of serious crimes in exchange for Russia releasing journalists, dissidents, and others imprisoned on what the West views as politically motivated charges.

“Deals like this one come with tough calls,” Biden stated. “There’s nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad.”

Under the agreement, Russia released Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter jailed in 2023 and convicted of espionage charges, which he and the U.S. government have consistently denied. His family expressed their excitement in a statement, saying, “We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close.” The Wall Street Journal’s editor-in-chief, Emma Tucker, described it as a “joyous day.”

“While we waited for this momentous day, we were determined to be as loud as we could be on Evan’s behalf. We are so grateful for all the voices that were raised when his was silent. We can finally say, in unison, ‘Welcome home, Evan,'” Tucker wrote in an online letter.