Russia is awaiting the US's response to the ideas for prisoner swaps

Days before US reporter Evan Gershkovich was scheduled to go on trial in Russia, Russia announced on Wednesday that it was awaiting the US response to its proposals for a prisoner swap.

A Wall Street Journal reporter named Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 on spurious espionage charges that were denied by the White House, his employer, and his family.

In February, President Vladimir Putin announced that discussions were in progress to exchange the journalist for a prisoner; however, the Kremlin has not provided any updates on the status of the talks.

“The ball is in the court of the United States, we are waiting for them to respond to the ideas that were presented to them,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russia’s state TASS news agency in an interview.

“They are well known to the relevant parts of the US administration. I understand that, perhaps, something in these ideas does not suit the Americans. That’s their problem,” he added.

On June 26, Gershkovich is scheduled to stand trial in secret in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. Should he be found guilty, he could spend up to 20 years in prison.

Moscow has been charged by Washington of detaining its citizens on false pretenses in order to use them as leverage when negotiating the release of Russian nationals who have been convicted overseas.

Reporter Alsu Kurmasheva, who was arrested in Russia last year for not registering as a “foreign agent,” is one of several US citizens who are being held there. Her employers criticized the case against her, saying it was driven by politics.

Paul Whelan, a former US marine who has been imprisoned in Russia since 2018 and is currently serving a 16-year term for espionage, is also attempting to be added to any upcoming prisoner exchange.

AFP