Trump Says He Will Get Putin to Free Jailed US Reporter

(ConservativeJournal.org) – Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social saying that he believed he could see imprisoned journalist and accused spy Evan Gershkovich freed from Russian jail shortly after winning the November election. Trump is the current front-runner for the GOP nomination and polling has him ahead of incumbent President Joe Biden in all the swing states as well as among black men. National polls show them neck and neck.

Trump said that the U.S. would “pay nothing” for the safe return of Gershkovich. Previously Putin had suggested negotiations were ongoing between the two states regarding the handling of Gershkovich. Trump claimed that Putin would “do that for me.”

Trump did not explain his comments or the context that led to his claims. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin has not had any contact with Donald Trump during Trump’s time out of office.

Gershkovich has been lingering in a Russian jail since March 2023 after the Russians busted him for spying. He works for a popular American newspaper; the Russians suggested he was snooping around a military base and weapons manufacturing center when they arrested him. He’s had no trial date set.

Putin previously implied they’d be willing to release him in exchange for a Russian prisoner being held in Germany on charges of murder.

The Kremlin highlighted that the negotiations must be handled “in complete silence” with no media or public input. They suggested that otherwise the negotiations will not be fruitful.

Trump has similarly claimed he could end the Ukrainian Russian war within 24 hours of his return to the presidency. He hasn’t outlined any specifics about how that would be accomplished or what steps he would take to achieve that outcome.

The Ukrainian war has been going very poorly for Kyiv after a series of defeats and delays in weapons’ deliveries has left their army understaffed and outgunned. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy continues to ask allies for help.

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