HELSINKI (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday said he’s serious about pursuing a prisoner exchange for a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days.
The Kremlin earlier this month suggested that it was open to a possible prisoner exchange that could involve Evan Gershkovich, but it underscored that such talks must be held out of the public eye.
Speaking at a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, Biden made clear that the U.S. is interested.
“I’m serious on a prisoner exchange,” said Biden, who was concluding a five-day visit to Europe that took him to the UK, Lithuania and Finland. “And I’m serious about doing all we can to free Americans being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else for that matter, and that process is underway.”