Ahead of his release on Thursday, a jailed Wall Street Journal reporter has requested an exclusive interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, 32, said he requested an interview with Putin while filling out an amnesty application shortly before his release in an international prisoner swap. according to The journalist, who was held in Russia on espionage charges, used the presidential pardon request as an opportunity to send an invitation to the Russian leader, he told The Wall Street Journal.
Evan Gershkovich demands private meeting with Putin ahead of historic release deal https://t.co/s6cvCGtYUW pic.twitter.com/SJNlnL8ilA
— New York Post (@nypost) August 1, 2024
According to the media, Gershkovich's release was the culmination of high-stakes secret negotiations in the largest multinational prisoner exchange since the Cold War, which also secured the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Russian-American journalist Arus Kurmaseva and 21 other detainees. (RELATED: Ex-Marine imprisoned in Russia urges Biden administration to take 'decisive action' for his release)
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist arrested on espionage charges, looks out from his prison cell ahead of a hearing to consider his appeal against his extended pre-trial detention (Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
Whelan, 54, had been in Russian custody since he was arrested on espionage charges at a friend's wedding in 2018. Despite claiming his innocence and explaining misconstrued financial transactions with Federal Security Service agents, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020, the New York Post reported. reportThe agreement was originally intended to secure the release of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of Putin, but faced an abrupt setback with Navalny's death.
According to the New York Post, President Joe Biden played a key role in the negotiations despite being in the midst of political turmoil caused by his battle with COVID-19 and his decision not to seek reelection in 2024. His direct involvement also included a key meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, urging him to move quickly to include two convicted Russian spies of Slovenian origin in the exchange.
