The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia and the United States were in contact over the possibility of a prisoner swap, an apparent reference to the jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich that came the day after he met with the U.S. ambassador. Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, said that such discussions would not be made public. The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne M. Tracy, met with Mr. Gershkovich at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow on Monday, according to the State Department. It was the first time since April 17 that an American diplomatic official had been able to meet with Mr. Gershkovich, who has been held for more than 13 weeks on what American officials have said are bogus allegations of espionage. Ms. Tracy reported that Mr. Gershkovich was in “good health” and remained “strong, despite his circumstances.” Mr. Gershkovich, 31, has been held since late March at Lefortovo, a high-security jail known for difficult conditions for inmates, including extreme isolation.

Source: Wall Street Journal July 03, 2023 21:34 UTC