Joe Biden threatens Russia with costs on Evan Gershkovich arrest anniversary
- The US president says he will ‘never give up hope’ as he seeks the Wall Street Journal reporter’s release, 1 year after he was detained on spying charges
- Gershkovich, 32, has been held in Moscow’s high-security Lefortovo prison, which is closely associated with the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB
President Joe Biden said on Friday the US will impose costs for Russia’s “appalling attempts” to use Americans as bargaining chips in a statement to mark the one-year anniversary of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s arrest in Russia.
Gershkovich, 32, became the first US journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War when he was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on March 29 last year.
“As I have told Evan’s parents, I will never give up hope either. We will continue working every day to secure his release,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House that called the journalist’s detention “wholly unjust and illegal”.
“We will continue to denounce and impose costs for Russia’s appalling attempts to use Americans as bargaining chips,” Biden added.
The Kremlin said on Thursday complete silence was needed when it came to discussions about possible prisoner exchanges involving Gershkovich.