Prior to his release Thursday, an incarcerated Wall Street Journal reporter sought an exclusive interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Wall Street Journal reported.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, 32, requested an interview with Putin while filling out a clemency form, just before being freed in an international prisoner exchange, according to the Wall Street Journal. The journalist, who was detained in Russia on espionage charges, used his request for presidential clemency as an opportunity to extend an invitation to the Russian leader.
Evan Gershkovich requested one-on-one interview with Putin before historic release deal https://t.co/s6cvCGtYUW pic.twitter.com/SJNlnL8ilA
— New York Post (@nypost) August 1, 2024
The release of Gershkovich marked the culmination of secretive and high-stakes negotiations, resulting in the largest multi-country prisoner swap since the Cold War, the outlet reported. This historic exchange also secured the freedom of former US Marine Paul Whelan, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and 21 other detainees. (RELATED: Imprisoned Former Marine In Russia Urges Biden Admin To Take ‘Decisive Action’ To Free Him)
![](https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-2016726312.jpg)
US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, looks out from inside a defendants’ cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention. (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)
Whelan, 54, had been held in Russia since his arrest at a friend’s wedding in 2018, under charges of espionage. Despite his claims of innocence and explanations of a misunderstood financial transaction with a Federal Security Service agent, he was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison, New York Post reported. The deal, originally involving discussions about the release of prominent Putin critic Alexei Navalny, faced a sudden setback with Navalny’s death.
President Joe Biden, despite battling COVID-19 and amidst political upheaval from his decision not to seek re-election in 2024, played a crucial role in the negotiations, according to the New York Post. His direct involvement included a critical conversation with the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Robert Golob, urging swift action to include two convicted Russian spies from Slovenia in the swap.