Espionage trial of U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia to begin June 26
NBC
Russia Says Its Awaiting US Response on Prisoner Swap
Above: Russia's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Ryabkov in 2021. Image copyright: Mikhail Svetlov/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Days before the trial of the jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was set to commence in Russia, the country's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, told state media Wednesday that "the ball is in the court of the United States," adding that, "we are waiting for their response to the ideas that were presented to them."
"I understand that, perhaps, something in these ideas does not suit the Americans," Ryabkov added. "That's their problem. We consider our approaches to be fully justified, sensible, balanced. We expect that this is how they will view them."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
As the US has said from the start, Evan Gershkovich is a journalist who has been wrongfully detained by Putin and his regime. The charges against him are a fiction and any court proceedings he undergoes will be a show trial. Nonetheless, the overriding duty of the US is to get him back safely, and that includes conversations with Russia.
Pro-Russia narrative
Evan Gershkovich was caught red-handed trying to steal Russian military secrets. Nonetheless, as Russia has said from the beginning, a prisoner swap can be arranged as long as those conversations are discreet and in the spirit of reciprocity. Such discussions are underway. But no more on the matter can be stated other than that.