Russian President Vladimir Putin told Tucker Carlson he would “not rule out” the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, though he continued to claim Gershkovich dabbled in espionage.
Putin’s comments came at the tail end of a two-hour interview with conservative vlogger Carlson that debuted on the former Fox News star’s website on Thursday. It’s the latest indication that Russia’s leader is open to releasing the Journal reporter, who has been imprisoned in the country for nearly a year as he awaits trial on an allegation of espionage. The Journal, parent company Dow Jones, and Gershkovich have all denied the allegation, while the newspaper has decried Gershkovich’s detention as “chilling and outrageous.”
Carlson himself tried to compel Putin to release Gershkovich, whose arrest the U.S. has deemed a wrongful detention, during the interview.
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“At the end of the day, it does not make any sense to keep him in prison in Russia,” Putin responded, saying both countries remained in discussions. “We want the U.S. special services to think about how they can contribute to achieving the goals our special services are pursuing. We are ready to talk. Moreover, the talks are underway, and there have been many successful examples of these talks crowned with success. Probably this is going to be crowned with success as well.”
“I also want him to return to his homeland at last,” Putin added.
“Evan is a journalist, and journalism is not a crime,” a Journal spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Any portrayal to the contrary is total fiction. Evan was unjustly arrested and has been wrongfully detained by Russia for nearly a year for doing his job, and we continue to demand his immediate release.”
“We’re encouraged to see Russia’s desire for a deal that brings Evan home, and we hope this will lead to his rapid release and return to his family and our newsroom,” the spokesperson added.
Putin’s public optimism for Gershkovich’s release went a step further than his remarks in December, where he told reporters that talks between the countries were “not easy” but that both sides were “speaking a language understandable to each other,” according to CNN.
His comments differ, however, from Russia’s judicial system. A Russian court extended Gershkovich’s detention for a fourth time last month, indicating the reporter may spend a full year in prison before he goes to trial.
Gershkovich is one of three Americans detained in Russia. Former Marine Paul Whelan was convicted and handed a 16-year sentence in 2020 for espionage, a charge he and the U.S. deny, while Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was arrested last year after Russia claimed she failed to register as a foreign agent. Kurmasheva has said she was targeted for her U.S. citizenship and has asked the U.S. to classify her arrest as a wrongful detention, but the State Department has not yet ruled on her case.
