Trump Pledges to Secure Release of Imprisoned US Reporter Gershkovich from Putin

Donald Trump recently announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to leverage his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure the release of Wall Street reporter Evan Gershkovich from a Russian prison. This release is expected to happen shortly after the upcoming November election, as Trump aims to defeat President Joe Biden and return to the White House.

Trump stated, “Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office. He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY.” Trump emphasized that this action would be carried out by Putin specifically for him, at no cost.

Despite Trump’s assertions, there is no indication of any direct communication between him and Putin regarding Gershkovich’s release. When asked about Trump’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that Putin has not had any recent contacts with the former US president.

Gershkovich was detained in Russia in March last year under espionage charges that have been strongly denied by him, his employer, and the Biden administration. He remains imprisoned in Moscow without a set trial date. Putin previously suggested a potential exchange of Gershkovich for a Russian individual imprisoned in Germany for murder.

Peskov emphasized the importance of discreet and confidential negotiations between Washington and Moscow regarding any prisoner swaps, following previous Kremlin statements on the matter.

During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump had expressed admiration for Putin, even in the face of accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Trump has also claimed that he could end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours if re-elected, without providing specifics on how he would achieve this.