American officials are celebrating the freedom of three American citizens and a US green-card holder who were all released today.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield says today is “a very good day”.

“President Biden has successfully secured their release – along with that of over a dozen Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country,” she says.

She calls the swap a “testament to the strength” of US alliances with several countries: Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey.

The results are a reminder that “while diplomacy isn’t always easy, it is always, always worth it”, she says.

Senator Ben Cardin, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says the news is a “welcome end to a searing nightmare” for the American prisoners in Russia and their families.

“These Americans should never have endured the hardships imposed on them by the Kremlin, but thanks to the unrelenting efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration and their families … their ordeal has finally come to an end,” he says.