"Putin Optimistic About Resolving Detention of American Journalists"

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during his year-end news conference that Russia is in talks with the United States regarding the detained Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. Putin expressed hope for finding a solution, despite the challenges. The U.S. State Department has offered multiple proposals for their release, but Russia has rejected them. Gershkovich, a journalist with the Wall Street Journal, has been imprisoned since March on espionage charges, while Whelan, a corporate security executive, has been jailed since 2018. Putin also discussed the war in Ukraine, expressing confidence in Russia's victory and reiterating its goals of demilitarization and "denazification" of Ukraine.