It was heartening to see the US journalist’s playful manner after his ordeal but he was in earnest when talking about helping those still incarcerated

• Russia-US prisoner swap –live

For a few seconds, no one even noticed that Evan Gershkovich had taken his first steps back on US soil as a free man.

All eyes were on Paul Whelan, the ex-marine who had spent more than 2,000 days in a Russian prison, mostly in obscurity as his family implored the White House to bring him home. Now Joe Biden was holding him by the elbow, while the vice-president, Kamala Harris, looked on.

It was heartening to see the US journalist’s playful manner after his ordeal but he was in earnest when talking about helping those still incarcerated

• Russia-US prisoner swap –live

For a few seconds, no one even noticed that Evan Gershkovich had taken his first steps back on US soil as a free man.

All eyes were on Paul Whelan, the ex-marine who had spent more than 2,000 days in a Russian prison, mostly in obscurity as his family implored the White House to bring him home. Now Joe Biden was holding him by the elbow, while the vice-president, Kamala Harris, looked on.

It was heartening to see the US journalist’s playful manner after his ordeal but he was in earnest when talking about helping those still incarcerated

• Russia-US prisoner swap –live

For a few seconds, no one even noticed that Evan Gershkovich had taken his first steps back on US soil as a free man.

All eyes were on Paul Whelan, the ex-marine who had spent more than 2,000 days in a Russian prison, mostly in obscurity as his family implored the White House to bring him home. Now Joe Biden was holding him by the elbow, while the vice-president, Kamala Harris, looked on.