Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to allowing jailed U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to return home as long as Washington was willing to negotiate on .
Topline
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to allowing jailed U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich to return home as long as Washington was willing to negotiate on “certain conditions,” in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that aired on Thursday, signaling a prisoner swap with a convicted killer.Key Facts
In the two-hour interview shared on Carlon’s X account, Putin reiterated the Kremlin’s allegations against Gershkovich, claiming the Wall Street Journal reporter was caught trying to access “classified information” and accused him of being “essentially controlled by the U.S. authorities.”
But Putin said there was “no taboo” in resolving the issue and said he did not “rule out” Gershkovich returning to “his motherland,” adding: “It doesn’t even make sense to keep him [Gershkovich] in prison in Russia.”
He said the release could happen if U.S. officials are willing to “think about how they can contribute to achieving the goals our special services are pursuing.
