President Joe Biden stated on Thursday that he intends to pursue a prisoner exchange for a Wall Street Journal correspondent detained in Russia for more than 100 days.
The Kremlin indicated earlier this month that it was amenable to a potential prisoner exchange involving Evan Gershkovich, but emphasized that such discussions must be conducted in private.
Biden Expected to Seek Evan Gershkovich's Release
Biden made it plain during a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, that the United States is intrigued. Biden, who was concluding a five-day trip to Europe that included stops in the United Kingdom, Lithuania, and Finland, declared, "I am serious about a prisoner exchange."
While on a reporting journey in the city of Yekaterinburg, Gershkovich was detained for espionage. He is being detained at the notoriously brutal Lefortovo prison in Moscow. A Moscow court recently affirmed a decision to detain him until August 30, as per AP News.
Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the US government has deemed his detention to be unlawful. His arrest shook Russian journalists. The allegations of espionage have not been supported by any evidence provided by the local authorities.
Last week, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the White House, verified that there have been "discussions" between the two parties, but he cautioned that there is no "clear path" to Gershkovich's liberation.
Per CBS News, the United States has designated the March arrest of Gershkovich on espionage allegations as "wrongful detention." Gershkovich and his employer have categorically denied the allegations, which Russia has not supported with evidence.
US-Russia Prisoner Exchange
The top spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the beginning of July that the US and Russia had discussed the possibility of a prisoner transfer involving Gershkovich. However, he stated that no negotiations should be made public.
On Friday, Sullivan stated, "These discussions have not generated a clear path to a resolution, so I cannot stand here and tell you that we have a clear answer as to how Evan will return home."
The United States is also pursuing the release of Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 and is currently serving a 16-year sentence. The United States considers him to be unlawfully detained.
Danielle, Gershkovich's sister, stated on Thursday at the National Press Club that her family is attempting to remain resilient.
Since his detention, Gershkovich's parents, who escaped the Soviet Union in 1979, have traveled to Russia twice to briefly visit him before his court proceedings. Once per week, according to Danielle Gershkovich, she receives letters from her sibling.
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