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 costs 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 costs.

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 solely confirmed by the Kremlin 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 courtroom by means of not less than Aug. 30.

He is the primary accredited American journalist working in Russia to be charged with espionage in almost 40 years.

Nadezhda Shumova, the top of the Russian Embassy’s consular part, advised the official TASS information company that Mr. Dunaev was additionally granted a consular go to from a Russian diplomat for the primary time since his arrest in 2021.

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