Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist and reporter who was detained in Russia on charges of espionage in March 2023, arrived in the US on Thursday, August 1. He was released from Russia as a part of the biggest prisoner swaps deal between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
Around 26 people, including Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist Vladimir Kara-Murza, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and former Marine Paul Whelan, were involved in the historic prisoner swap.
Before leaving the prison, Gershkovich made a surprising request to the Russian government, seeking an opportunity to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich had to pen down an official appeal for presidential pardon to Putin as part of the release procedure formalities.
He mentioned about his plea for an interview with the Kremlin leader at the bottom of the document, the WSJ stated, detailing the convoluted diplomatic process that US officials and Gershkovich’s family encountered in order to secure his release from the Russia prison. However, it hasn’t been confirmed yet if Putin saw the letter or responded to it.
What was the role of Tucker Carlson in Gershkovich’s release?
When Berlin and Washington were chalking out the way to crack a deal with Russia, Tucker Carlson emerged as an unexpected new negotiator with Moscow.
Notably, the WSJ journalist’s release came months after the former Fox News host took Putin’s interview, which was exclusively aired on social media.
Carlson informed the Russian President’s advisors that he intended to ask Putin to release Gershkovich. Responding to him, Putin’s close aide called his plan a “great idea”, hinting that he might get a favorable response.
Also Read: Russia issues chilling warning to released US prisoners after historic swap: ‘Let the traitors now…’
Putin publicly raised his demand
During a two-hour long interview with Putin, Carlson pressed his case, saying, “This guy is obviously not a spy, he’s just a kid.”
“He’s being held hostage in exchange…Maybe it degrades Russia to do that,” the American host added.
Expressing protest, Putin for the first time openly declared that he wanted one person in return, who was “serving a sentence in an allied country of the US.”
The Kremlin leader was alluding to Vadim Krasikov, his “patriot”, who was serving his sentence in German jail. Therefore, the US was not eligible to offer him to Russia.
After Putin took Carlson on a tour of the Kremlin, the TV pundit came back to the topic of Gershkovich and asked, “Why are you doing this?..…It’s hurting you.”
In response, Putin held Washington responsible for the issue, asserting that Russia had clarified what it wanted. He further criticised the fact that the US didn’t take more action to extradite its alleged spies.
The impact of Carlson interview
After Carlson’s interview with Putin garnered over 200 million views, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Washington to speak with Biden on the matter. They both decided to “explore Krasikov as the centerpiece of a deal” that would lead to release of several inmates, including Gershkovich, Whelan, and the now-deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. In exchange, Russia would be able to get its spies held in Norway and Slovenia.
The landmark development came after months of careful diplomacy by the representatives from the United States, Germany, Russia, and other countries, as well as family members who stood firmly for their loved ones behind the bars.
Gershkovich’s mother Ella Milman was instrumental in securing her son’s release. She discussed his situation with journalists and world leaders.
