The Biden administration has agreed to a prisoner exchange with Russia and expects to secure the release of three American citizens soon, held in Russia. They include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkowitz, Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, a senior administration official confirmed. The agreement is believed to include other persons. CBS News reports , citing a White House source
The exchange has not yet taken place , but is expected later today.
Whelan and Gershkovich were imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges that the United States has consistently denied. Kurmasheva, who holds dual US and Russian citizenship, was detained in Russia in June 2023 on charges of spreading false information about the Russian army.
TheWhite House, State Department and CIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When asked about the Russian prisoners ‘ relocation on Wednesday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said: “I don’t want to speculate on any reasons. What I can say is that the United States continues to work around the clock, to bring our wrongfully detained American citizens home. And that remains the case , but no updates at this time.”
Earlier this month at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, that the administration is”determined ” to make a deal for Americans in Russia.
“We are determined to make it happen,” he said on July 19 in response to a question about Gershkovich. “And I think that ‘ s one of the most important tasks between now and the end of the year, and especially now at the end of the month, for us to try to achieve something where we can bring him home.”
Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter , was detained by Russian authorities while on assignment in Yekaterinburg in March 2023. The Russian authorities accused him of espionage , which prompted immediate condemnation from the US government, which recognized Gershkovich as unlawfully detained.
In July , Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court. The United States called his hasty trial a”sham.”
Paul Whelan, a Marine Corps veteran, was arrested in December 2018 while traveling to Russia to attend a friend’s wedding. In 2020 , he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Whelan and his family categorically deny the allegations of espionage and claim that he is being used by Russia as a political pawn. He was not included in several previous prisoner exchanges between Russia and the United States during the Trump and Biden administrations.
Special Envoy for Hostages Roger Carstens, whose office was a key part of the team, of the negotiating team, said at a conference in Aspen on July 17: “I know that Evan and Paul will return to the United States and set foot on American soil.”
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