Ivan Gershkovich: The United States confirms that Russia has contacted a reporter about the prisoner exchange

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The US says it has been in talks with Russia with the aim of bringing imprisoned US journalist Ivan Gershkovich home – but there is no “clear path” to his release.

Asked about a prisoner exchange, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States was “prepared to do difficult things” to get Gershkovitch back.

The Wall Street Journal reporter, accused of espionage, was arrested on March 29.

The United States says the case is unfounded.

It accuses Russia of holding Mr Gershkovitch for “leverage”.

“There were discussions, but those discussions did not lead to a clear path to a solution,” he said.

He said, “We are willing to do difficult things in order to bring our citizens home, including bringing Ivan home. I don’t want to give false hope.” “We have a clear commitment and conviction that we will do everything we can to bring him home.”

On June 22, a Moscow court rejected an appeal to release Mr. Gershkovitch, 31, who is being held in Lefortovo, where dissidents were previously held by the KGB.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said there were “certain contacts” with the United States over the case of Mr. Gershkovich, suggesting a possible prisoner exchange.

The day before, US Ambassador Lynn Tracy had been allowed to visit Gershkovitch in a Moscow prison for only the second time. He is the first Western journalist to be imprisoned in Russia since the Soviet era.

Russian embassy staff also recently visited Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen who is being held in the United States on cybercrime charges. Delivered to the United States from South Korea in 2021.

There is speculation that a new prisoner exchange may be arranged.

The US is also pressing for the release of Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who has been in prison for more than four years.

Mr. Whelan is in Mordovia, a region in the far southeast of Moscow that is notorious for harsh conditions in concentration camps.

After being imprisoned for 10 months, basketball star Brittney Griner was released in December after the US brokered a prison swap and freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was imprisoned in the US on arms smuggling charges.

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