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Russia is waiting for the United States to respond to its proposals regarding a potential prisoner swap, just days before US journalist Evan Gershkovich is set to go on trial in Russia.
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested in March 2023 and charged with espionage, which his family, employer, and the White House have denied as false.
In February, President Vladimir Putin announced that negotiations for a prisoner swap involving Gershkovich were underway, but the Kremlin has since provided no further details on the status of the talks. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that the ball is now in the US court, awaiting a response to the proposals presented to them.
Ryabkov added that the ideas put forward by Russia are well-known to the relevant US administration officials, but acknowledged that they may not be satisfactory to the Americans. “That’s their problem,” he said.
Gershkovich’s trial is scheduled to take place in Yekaterinburg on June 26 and carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if he is found guilty. The United States has accused Russia of arresting its citizens on trumped-up charges as a means of using them as leverage to secure the release of Russians convicted abroad.
Among the other US nationals being held in Russia is reporter Alsu Kurmasheva, who was detained last year for allegedly failing to register as a “foreign agent.” Her employers have described her case as politically motivated.
Former US marine Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia since 2018 and is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges, is also seeking inclusion in any future prisoner exchange.
