Biden: Prisoner swap with Russia for WSJ reporter in progress.

President Biden “Serious” About Prisoner Exchange for American Reporter

President Biden has expressed his seriousness about a potential prisoner exchange with Russia for Evan Gershkovich, an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal.

“I’m serious about a prisoner exchange,” Biden said during a press briefing in Helsinki, Finland. “I’m serious about doing all we can to free Americans who are being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else for that matter. That process is underway.”

Gershkovich has been detained in Russia since late March, and the United States has labeled it a wrongful detention. He was arrested on espionage charges, making him the first American journalist to face such charges in Russia since 1986. However, Gershkovich, the U.S. government, and The Wall Street Journal all deny these allegations.

Last week, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also commented on the matter, stating that the U.S. has been in contact with Russia throughout the ordeal.

“We remain in contact with Russian authorities at high levels on these cases to try to figure out a way to bring unjustly detained Americans home, including Evan,” Sullivan said. “We have also made clear for months now – even before Evan was detained, as we were dealing with Paul Whelan – that we are prepared to do hard things in order to get our citizens home, including getting Evan home.”

Paul Whelan, a U.S. Marine veteran, has been detained in Russia since 2018 on espionage charges. The U.S. government denies these accusations and considers them baseless.

In December, the Biden administration faced criticism for trading Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for WNBA player Britney Griner, leaving Whelan behind. However, President Biden is determined to rectify the situation and ensure the safe return of all unjustly detained Americans.

While details of a potential prisoner swap for Gershkovich are being discussed, the Kremlin has emphasized the need for confidentiality in these negotiations.

Despite the challenging circumstances, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy reported that Gershkovich remains in good health and resilient.

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