Putin Says Russia Wants to Reach Agreement on Return of WSJ’s Evan Gershkovich

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia wants “to reach an agreement” on the return of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is currently in Russian custody on an allegation of espionage that he, the Journal and the U.S. government vehemently deny.

During a press conference Thursday, Putin was asked about the recent declaration by the Biden administration that the Russian government rejected a new offer aimed at freeing the American reporter, as well as former U.S. Marine and Michigan corporate-security executive Paul Whelan, who is also in Russian custody.