Thursday’s massive multi-country prisoner swap with Russia – touted by the US as the largest since the end of the Cold War – marked a major diplomatic achievement and legacy-defining moment for President Joe Biden less than six months before he leaves office.

The prisoner exchange, which included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, was Biden’s first major foreign policy action since announcing last month he was ending his reelection bid and endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris.