On Friday, US Vice President Joe Biden urged Russia to release detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was charged with spying by Moscow.
On Thursday, Russia’s FSB security service announced the arrest of Gershkovich, the most serious public move against a foreign journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine.
“Let him go,” Biden said as he walked out of the White House to head to storm-ravaged Mississippi.
When asked if he planned to expel Russian diplomats following Gershkovich’s detention, Biden said, “That’s not the plan right now.”
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the espionage charges “ridiculous” and said there was no evidence to back them up.
According to the Journal, Gershkovich’s detention was based on false allegations.
The FSB accused Gershkovich of gathering information about a military factory that was classified as a state secret.
It did not identify the factory or state its location but stated that it had detained the 31-year-old journalist in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg while he was attempting to obtain classified information. It offered no documentary or video evidence of his guilt.
