Kremlin hints at talks to free jailed U.S. reporter Gershkovich

The Kremlin acknowledged for the primary time Tuesday that “contacts” with U.S. officers have begun over jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, imprisoned since March on what the Biden administration says are bogus fees of espionage.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy was allowed to make a consular go to to the jailed journalist Monday amid hypothesis of a potential swap for Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen in custody in Ohio on cybercrime fees.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Russian authorities spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the discussions however declined to supply particulars.

“We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject, but we don’t want them to be discussed in public,” Mr. Peskov stated in a convention name with reporters. “They must be carried out and continue in complete silence.”

The reticence matches the Russian sample — an identical swap of WNBA star Brittney Griner for Russian arms deal Viktor Bout in December was confirmed by the Kremlin solely shortly earlier than it was carried out.

Mr. Gershkovich was seized within the metropolis of Yekaterinburg whereas on a reporting journey to Russia. He is being held at Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo jail and has been ordered held in custody by a Moscow court docket via not less than Aug. 30.

He is the primary accredited American journalist working in Russia to be charged with espionage for the reason that finish of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Nadezhda Shumova, the pinnacle of the Russian Embassy’s consular part, informed the nation’s official TASS information company that Mr. Dunaev was additionally granted a consular go to from a Russian diplomat in latest days for the primary time since his arrest in 2021 in South Korea and extradition to the U.S.

Mr. Peskov’s cryptic feedback had been the primary indication that an precise negotiation is perhaps underway to safe Mr. Gershkovich’s launch. Roger Carstens, President Biden’s particular envoy for hostage affairs, informed the Aspen Ideas Forum final week that there have been no talks up to now on securing the reporter’s launch, regardless of Washington’s denials that he was a spy.

“The Russians, however, have been playing a tough game,” Mr. Carstens stated. “They’re not willing to really talk to us about him yet.”

The White House was additionally being close-lipped about any negotiations.
“While we unfortunately do not have a breakthrough to share, we continue to pursue every avenue to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan,” a U.S. official informed the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

Mr. Whelan, an govt with a Michigan company safety agency and an ex-U.S. Marine, is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on a 2020 espionage conviction. Repeated efforts to rearrange a prisoner swap for him have been fruitless.

Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first worldwide look — by video — for the reason that mutiny by the Wagner Group mercenary power that shook his authorities late final month. The Russian chief tried to mission a picture of power in remarks to a digital gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a China-founded safety group for Central, East and South Asian nations.

In the wake of the near-coup, Mr. Putin informed SCO leaders, “The Russian people are united as never before.”

“The solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion,” he added.

He thanked SCO members for what he stated was their assist within the face of the Wagner Group revolt, however different leaders, together with host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and Chinese President Xi Jinping, ignored the coup and the state of the warfare in Ukraine in their very own remarks to the group.