Asked if he was going to expel Russian diplomats after the
detention of Gershkovich, Biden said, "That's not the plan right
now."
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, called
the espionage charges "ridiculous" on Thursday and said there
was no evidence to support the claim.
The Journal said the detention of Gershkovich was based on
false allegations.
The FSB accused Gershkovich of gathering information
classified as a state secret about a military factory.
It did not name the factory or say where it was, but said it
had detained the 31-year-old journalist in the Urals city of
Yekaterinburg as he was trying to procure secret information. It
did not provide documentary or video evidence of his guilt.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by William Maclean)
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe
Biden called on Russia on Friday to release detained Wall Street
Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was charged with spying
by Moscow.
Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it had
detained Gershkovich, the most serious public move against a
foreign journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine.
"Let him go," Biden said as he left the White House for a
trip to storm-ravaged Mississippi.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.