On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov verified reports that discussions are taking place over a possible prisoner swap with detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
The comments come as Moscow has indicated in the past that they might accept an exchange for the 32-year-old New Jersey native.
“I want to remind you again of the president’s conversation with the heads of information agencies in St. Petersburg; he confirmed that there are such contacts,” Peskov told reporters.
Gershkovich was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service in March 2023 for alleged espionage related matters and was formally indicted last week. He faces 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
The news correspondent denies all the accusations that he is facing, and representatives from his employer have described the ordeal as “Russia’s latest move toward a sham trial.”
In April 2023, Gershkovich was formally declared “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. State Department.
Related Story: Detained Wall Street Journal Reporter to Stand Trial in Russia for Espionage
