Trump Claims Putin Will Free Jailed WSJ Reporter If Re-Elected

Former President Donald Trump predicted that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, detained in Russia on espionage charges, will be released "almost immediately" after the upcoming presidential election. Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would facilitate the release without any cost, though Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any contact between Trump and Putin. Gershkovich has been held since March 2023, and his pretrial detention was recently extended until at least June. President Biden has also called for Gershkovich's release.