On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there has been contact between the U.S. and Russia regarding a possible prisoner swap involving Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, both of whom are considered "wrongfully detained." The same day, the U.S. ambassador to Russia met with Gershkovich in Moscow, and Peskov said that any discussions about a prisoner swap must be kept in complete silence. It is unclear if the two countries have made any progress in their negotiations.
Posts tagged as “Paul Whelan”
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine wrongfully detained in Russia since December 2018, has expressed his concern about the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has called for the release of Whelan and other wrongfully detained Americans in Russia, and the Biden administration has yet to comment on the situation. Whelan remains hopeful that he will be released soon, expressing confidence that the wheels are turning.
On Wednesday, Russian authorities arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg. U.S. Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan has warned that Gershkovich is likely to face a sham, closed trial on espionage charges and endure tough treatment. This arrest is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised tensions between Russia and the West, and the international community is urged to pay attention to the case and take action.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced the opening of a criminal case against a United States citizen suspected of espionage, further straining the already tense relationship between the two countries. The FSB did not name the individual or say whether they had been taken into custody, but it is speculated that the individual is Paul Whelan, who was detained in Russia four years ago on suspicion of espionage.