The United States confirmed on Friday that it was in talks with Russia a few potential prisoner swap for the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, however cautioned that the discussions had not but produced “a clear pathway to a resolution.”
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov mentioned this week that the 2 international locations had been in touch about the potential for a swap. President Biden’s nationwide safety adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirmed the Kremlin’s remarks on Friday, however he mentioned that he didn’t need to give “false hope.”
“There have been discussions, but those discussions have not produced a clear pathway to a resolution,” Mr. Sullivan informed reporters, including that the U.S. didn’t have a “clear answer” on how it might safe Mr. Gershkovich’s launch.
“All I can do,” he mentioned, “is tell you that we have a clear commitment and conviction that we will do everything possible to bring him home.”
Mr. Sullivan had met with members of Mr. Gershkovich’s household and Wall Street Journal workers, based on The Journal, to notice 100 days since Mr. Gershkovich, 31, was detained on a reporting journey within the Russian metropolis of Yekaterinburg. Mr. Gershkovich has been held in Lefortovo, a notoriously harsh, high-security jail. He might face a 20-year sentence if he’s convicted on what the U.S. authorities, The Journal and press freedom teams have mentioned are bogus costs of espionage.
“The world knows that the charges against Evan are baseless,” the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, informed reporters on Friday.
The United States considers each Mr. Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a former Marine serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on espionage costs, to be “wrongfully detained” by Russia, a designation that’s the equal of being a political hostage.
“Our message to Evan and to Paul is this: Keep the faith. We won’t stop until you are home,” Ms. Jean-Pierre mentioned.
In a quick assertion on Friday, Mr. Gershkovich’s household mentioned assist from all over the world had been “overwhelming.”
“Every day that Evan isn’t home is another day too many,” the household mentioned.
Source: www.nytimes.com