In a recent statement on his Truth Social platform, former President Donald Trump asserted that his unique bond with Russian President Vladimir Putin would ensure the release of Evan Gershkovich, an American Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for over a year on espionage charges. Trump confidently declared that Gershkovich would be freed "almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office" if he were to be elected.

However, Trump's promise did not come with any specific details on how he planned to secure Gershkovich's release. The Kremlin swiftly denied any contact between Putin and the former president regarding the case, with Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that Putin "does not have any contacts with Donald Trump here."

While the Biden administration and the Wall Street Journal vehemently deny the espionage charges against Gershkovich, it remains unclear how close they are to securing his freedom. Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg in March 2023 during a reporting trip, and since then, he has been held in pretrial detention.

The U.S. government has continuously maintained that Gershkovich is wrongfully detained and has demanded his release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Russia has provided no evidence of wrongdoing, stating, "To date, Russia has provided no evidence of wrongdoing for a simple reason: Evan did nothing wrong."

Interestingly, Putin suggested in a February interview that a potential deal could be reached for Gershkovich's release. He referenced previous successful prisoner swaps with Western countries and hinted that he may seek the freedom of Vadim Krasikov, an assassin with ties to Russia's FSB security service, in return. Krasikov is currently imprisoned in Germany for the 2019 murder of a Chechen commander in Berlin.

Another potential swap deal involving Russians and Americans was reportedly in the "final stage" according to an ally of the late Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny. However, no specific details were provided regarding the Americans involved in the proposed exchange.

As the situation regarding Evan Gershkovich's detention continues to unfold, the Biden administration remains committed to bringing him back home, along with Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine also imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges.

Despite Trump's assertions, it remains to be seen how diplomatic efforts will progress in securing the release of Gershkovich and other wrongly detained individuals.