WASHINGTON —
The White House said it was preparing a new proposal for Russia to secure the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich and another imprisoned American.
“We are working hard to understand what we can do to come up with a different proposal that might be more successful,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
The Kremlin rejected the previous offer.
Wall Street Journal journalist Hershkovitch was taken into custody in March on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vigorously deny.
Experts say Gershkovich’s jailing underscores Moscow’s decades-long crackdown on press freedom.
The other American in question is Paul Whelan, a former US Marine arrested in Moscow in 2018. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges, which he and the US government deny.
“We are always encouraged by signs that the government is working towards the release of Evan and Paul. We very much hope that these efforts will soon bear fruit,” Wall Street Journal assistant editor Paul Beckett told VOA.
Beckett leads the newspaper’s campaign for Gershkowitz’s release.
The news from the White House comes a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was “actively working” to free Gershkovitch and Whelan.
“As for Russia, Evan and Paul Whelan. All I can say is that we are actively working on this, and we will try everything to find the right path to bring them home, as quickly as possible,” Blinken said Wednesday at a year-end news conference.
Earlier this month, the State Department said Russia had rejected a “substantial” offer to release Gershkovich and Whelan.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow wanted to “reach an agreement” with Washington on the release of Gershkovich and Whelan.
The Wall Street Journal reported in September that Moscow is seeking the return of Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov, who is currently imprisoned in Germany, possibly in exchange for Gershkovich and Whelan.
In announcing a prisoner swap with Venezuela on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said the release of detained Americans would continue to be a priority for his administration.
“We continue to focus closely on the release of hostages in Gaza and unjustly detained Americans around the world, including Evan Gershkovitch and Paul Whelan,” Biden said in a statement.
