Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia wants to “reach an agreement” on detained Wall Street Journal reporter and New Jersey native Evan Gershkovich.
Gershkovich has been in Russian custody since March on charges of espionage that he, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. government vehemently deny. Putin was speaking during his first extended press conference since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“I think it was very interesting and different that Putin himself did talk about a possible swap. That was the biggest news as far as I was concerned for the entire press conference,” said Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, in an interview with NJ Spotlight News. “He didn’t give details, but the very fact that he himself was talking about it suggests that one, there have been negotiations and it seems … from what I’ve heard from our side, there have been proposals and that he spoke favorably about them suggests that something is happening on that front.”
