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full screen Russian President Vladimir Putin. Image from the Russian propaganda channel Sputnik. Photo: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo Via AP/TT
Russian President Vladimir Putin says a settlement can be reached with the United States over jailed The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
In this context, Putin mentions a Russian “patriot” convicted of murder in Germany.
Putin states that there are ongoing discussions about an exchange between the US and Russia that could lead to Evan Gershkovich being allowed to return home.
– I think an agreement can be reached, says the president in an interview with the right-wing radical American journalist Tucker Carlson.
32-year-old Gershkovich was arrested during a reporting trip in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023 and charged with espionage. Russian authorities have not released any evidence.
Gershkovich, his employer and the United States strongly deny the allegations. The United States claims he is wrongfully imprisoned.
Putin did not specifically mention who Moscow is seeking in exchange. He did, however, refer to Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence in Germany for shooting a Chechen man in Berlin in 2019.
Putin called Krasikov, whom he did not refer to by name, a Russian patriot.
“Russia’s desire for a deal that will bring Evan home is encouraging, and we hope this will lead to his swift release and return to his family and our newsroom,” The Wall Street Journal wrote in a statement.