The US confirms: "The US and Russia are in negotiations..." Exchange of prisoners | US | US
According to today's Russian television website on July 8th, Jack Sullivan, Assistant to the US President for National Security Affairs, stated on July 7th that US and Russian officials are holding talks on possible prisoner exchanges. He also said that the list of changed prisoners includes Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovic.
Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for The Wall Street Journal
According to the report, Sullivan stated that the negotiations have not yet reached any substantive results, and he does not want to give people an "unrealistic hope".
According to previous reports by Russian media, the Public Relations Center of the Russian Federal Security Agency reported on March 30th that Gershkovic was arrested in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities. The Russian Federal Security Agency has determined that Gershkovic acted in accordance with US instructions, "collecting intelligence that constitutes state secrets about the business of a Russian military industrial enterprise.". He was caught on the spot while trying to obtain secret information.
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When asked about the situation in the Gershkovich case, Sullivan said, "Both sides have had discussions, but these discussions have not found a clear way to solve this problem." He also stated that the United States does not have a "clear answer" on how to ensure the release of the journalist.
The report mentioned that earlier this week, the press secretary of the Russian President, Peskov, also confirmed that Moscow and Washington are in negotiations on a possible prisoner exchange. He said, "We have already mentioned that there are some connections in this regard, but we do not want them to be made public in any way." He also stated that these discussions "should continue in complete silence.".
Peskov did not specifically mention the case of Gershkovic. He simply stated that both Russia and the United States should assist in arranging diplomatic visits to detainees. His words were made after Lynn Tracy, the US Ambassador to Russia, visited Gershkovic at the Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. Tracy said that the journalist's health is "very good".