Russian President Putin Suggests Possible Agreement with US to Release Detained Wall Street Journal Reporter
In a recent interview with former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at the possibility of reaching an agreement with the United States to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich has been detained for nearly one year on espionage charges that have yet to be substantiated.
During the interview, Carlson asked Putin if he would consider releasing Gershkovich so that Carlson could bring him back to the U.S. Putin expressed his desire to see the journalist return home but emphasized that the Kremlin expects something in return. “We have done so many gestures of goodwill out of decency that I think we have run out of them,” Putin stated. He further added that he was looking for the U.S. to “take reciprocal steps.”
Although Putin did not mention any names, he implied that he wanted Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov in exchange for Gershkovich. Krasikov is currently serving a life sentence in Germany for the murder of a former Chechen fighter in a Berlin park in 2019.
The U.S. State Department revealed in early December that it had made a “new and significant” proposal to Russia for the release of Gershkovich and American businessman Paul Whelan, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence on espionage charges. Both Gershkovich and Whelan’s families vehemently deny the allegations against them, and the U.S. considers their detention to be wrongful.
However, Russia rejected the proposal put forth by the State Department. Putin acknowledged that there have been discussions between the Kremlin and Washington but claimed that the U.S. has not made a satisfactory offer. In response, the U.S. stated that it had “put multiple offers on the table.”
Despite the current impasse, Putin mentioned that there is an ongoing dialogue between U.S. and Russian special services, which has proven successful in the past. He expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached, stating, “Probably this is going to be crowned with success as well. But we have to come to an agreement.”
It is worth noting that there have been two prisoner swaps between the U.S. and Russia in recent years. These swaps secured the release of Marine veteran Trevor Reed and WNBA star Brittney Griner, both of whom were considered to be wrongfully detained by the U.S. in Russia.
The White House has confirmed that President Biden has been personally engaged in efforts to secure the release of Americans who are held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, including Gershkovich and Whelan.
As negotiations continue between the U.S. and Russia, the fate of Evan Gershkovich remains uncertain. The international community eagerly awaits a resolution to this case, hoping for a successful outcome that will allow Gershkovich to return to his homeland.