"Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal,
who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately
after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office. He
will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY," Trump said.
"Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but
not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!"
Trump did not refer to any contacts with Putin or say what
grounds he had to believe that the Russian leader would release
Gershkovich.
Asked about the comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said
Putin has "naturally not had contacts with Donald Trump".
Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March last year on spying
charges that he, his paper and the Biden administration have all
strongly denied. He has spent well over a year in a Moscow
prison, with no date set for a trial.
Putin said in February it might be possible to free him in
exchange for a Russian imprisoned in Germany for murder.
Peskov reiterated previous Kremlin statements that contacts with
Washington regarding any exchange of prisoners must be conducted
"in complete silence and absolutely discreetly. This is the only
way they can be effective".
During his 2017-2021 presidency, Trump expressed admiration for
Putin. In 2018, he refused to blame the Russian leader for
meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, casting doubt on the
findings of his own intelligence agencies and sparking criticism
at home.
Trump has also claimed he could end the war in Ukraine within 24
hours of returning to the White House, though he has not said
how he would do this.
(Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan and Alexander
Marrow; Editing by Gareth Jones)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|