Putin Expresses Gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s MbS for Facilitating Major US-Russia Prisoner Swap, According to Reuters

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude on Thursday to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his role in facilitating the largest U.S.-Russian prisoner swap since the Cold War.

On August 1, U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were released from Russian detention and returned to the United States in what marked the most significant prisoner exchange between the two nations since the Cold War era.

The negotiation for this swap took place over a year in secrecy and involved a total of 24 prisoners—16 moving from Russia to Western nations and 8 returning to Russia.

"Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince played an active role in the initial stages of this work. We are very grateful to him, as it resulted in the return of our citizens to the homeland," Putin stated at the Eastern Economic Forum.

Additionally, Putin thanked Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for hosting the exchange and acknowledged several other Arab countries that contributed to the operation, although he did not specify which ones.

Putin and Mohammed bin Salman, often referred to as MbS, have developed a close personal relationship since the prince’s first visit to Russia in 2015. This bond has proven beneficial for both leaders in managing the OPEC+ energy agreement, given that they helm the world’s two largest oil-exporting nations.