US President Joe Biden has said he is serious about pursuing a prisoner exchange for a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days.
The Kremlin earlier this month suggested that it was open to a possible prisoner exchange that could involve Evan Gershkovich, but it underscored that such talks must be held out of the public eye.
Speaking at a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, Mr Biden made clear that the US is interested.
“I’m serious on a prisoner exchange,” said Mr Biden, who was concluding a five-day visit to Europe that took him to the UK, Lithuania and Finland.
“And I’m serious about doing all we can to free Americans being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else for that matter, and that process is under way.”
Mr Gershkovich was arrested on espionage charges in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip. He is being held at Moscow’s harsh Lefortovo prison. A Moscow court recently upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until August 30.
Mr Gershkovich and his employer deny the allegations, and the US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained. Authorities in Russia have not provided any evidence to support the espionage charges.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed last week that there have been “discussions” between the two sides, but cautioned that there is not yet “a clear pathway” to winning Mr Gershkovich’s freedom.
Mr Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB.
Mr Daniloff was released 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union’s UN mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges.
At a National Press Club event on Thursday, Mr Gershkovich’s sister, Danielle, described the emotional toll from her brother’s captivity. “I just try to take it day by day. It still feels unreal sometimes. For my parents, it’s a full-time job.”
She said she had received a letter from her brother this week.
One silver lining of the 100th day marker, she said, was the publicity and attention for her brother.
“Seeing Evan’s face in the news was just really heartening. At such a dark time, it’s wonderful to see his face again,” she said.
