The White House has confirmed that discussions with Russia have taken place regarding a possible prisoner exchange involving Evan Gershkovich, the detained reporter from the Wall Street Journal. National security adviser Jake Sullivan clarified that while there have been talks, a clear pathway has not yet been established. Sullivan emphasized the willingness of the United States to undertake difficult measures to secure the release of its citizens, as previously demonstrated during the case of Paul Whelan.
In regards to the potential swap, Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that discussions between the U.S. and Russia are ongoing, with Gershkovich and Russian citizen Vladimir Dunaev being considered as part of the exchange. A meeting between U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy and Gershkovich took place at Lefortovo prison in Moscow shortly before Peskov’s comments. Sullivan reaffirmed that the U.S. maintains high-level communication with Russian authorities regarding these cases.
Previous prisoner exchanges between the U.S. and Russia have taken place, such as the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner in December, facilitated by the exchange of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Currently, Gershkovich has been detained for 100 days since his arrest in March on charges of espionage. To mark the occasion, Sullivan met with representatives from the Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich’s family. Sullivan also expressed the White House’s commitment to securing the release of Gershkovich as well as former Marine Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018.
During a press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged the milestone of 100 days and conveyed a message of hope to Gershkovich and Whelan, urging them to remain steadfast. Jean-Pierre underscored that the international community recognizes the baselessness of the charges against Gershkovich and highlighted that his arrest is an attempt by Russia to exert leverage as he is an American journalist. She reiterated that President Biden has prioritized the release of Gershkovich, Whelan, and all Americans detained abroad.
Please note that this material is the intellectual property of Nexstar Media Inc. and reproduction without permission is prohibited.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
