White House condemns Russia’s arrest of an American journalist

President Joe Biden called on Russia to release an American Wall Street Journal reporter it arrested this week on claims of espionage. Russia has not released any evidence that caused the espionage suspicions.

CNN asked Biden about the situation with journalist Evan Gershkovich and what he would say to Russia, and Biden responded, “Let him go.”

According to The Washington Post, the State Department is “actively working to secure consular access” and has been in “direct touch with the Russian government.”

With the arrest, the White House is urging Americans living in Moscow to leave the country. John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said that while he recognizes the risks for American journalists in Russia, “it doesn’t change our deep concern about Americans being in Russia,” per CNN.

Why did Russia arrest Wall Street Journal reporter?

On Thursday, Russia’s Federal Security Service detained Gershkovich, saying he “is suspected of spying for the American government,” per the Post.

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• Russia arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter on claims of espionage

The Journal “vehemently denies the allegations” and “seeks the immediate release” of Gershkovich.

Last week, the U.S. charged a Russian man, Sergey Cherkasov, with allegedly “spying for Moscow under a Brazilian alias,” as well as charges of fraud, NBC News reported.

Whether the arrest of Gershkovich was in retaliation for the charges against Cherkov is not clear yet.

What does seem clear is that President Vladimir Putin “seems to have embraced a state of political, economic and cultural estrangement from the West more extreme than at any point since the end of the Cold War,” according to The New York Times.