WASHINGTON, April 5. /TASS/: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that he once again called on Moscow to accept Washington’s proposal on Paul Whelan’s exchange during a recent phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
"When it comes to Paul Whelan, there is a proposal on the table, and it has been on the table for some months. Again, with Foreign Minister Lavrov, I reiterated that Russia should move on that proposal so that we can bring Paul home," he said.
Blinken added that he also discussed the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhskovich and demanded his immediate release.
"In Evan’s case, we are working through the determination of wrongful detention. And there is a process to do that, and it is something that we are working through very deliberately, but expeditiously as well. […] In my own mind, there is no doubt that he has been wrongfully detained by Russia, which is exactly what I’ve said to Foreign Minister Lavrov when I spoke to him," Blinken noted. "But I want to make sure that, as always, because there is a formal process, that we will go through it, and we will, and I expect that to be completed soon."
According to the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia, Gershkovich was gathering classified information about a Russian military-industrial enterprise under orders from the US side. According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the reporter was apprehended in the act; a criminal case on charges of espionage has been initiated. Gershkovich was put into custody until May 29.
