Trump Wildly Claims That Putin Will Release Jailed WSJ Reporter as Favor ‘For Me, But Not for Anyone Else’

Former President Donald Trump suggested in an early morning social media post on Thursday that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin would release imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as a personal favor to him.

“Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office,” declared Trump on Truth Social at 1:30am. “He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!”

Gershkovich was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service in March 2023 and has been baselessly accused of espionage by the Russian. Putin’s press secretary quickly claimed that Gershkovich had been “caught red-handed,” but did not provide details of his alleged crimes.

He is the first American journalist to be arrested in Russia on charges of espionages since the collapse of the Soviet Union and faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Reacting to Trump’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian government hasn’t had “any contacts with Donald Trump.”

“Regarding [US-Russian] contacts on the matter of incarcerated and convicted individuals, we can say that these contacts must be carried out in total secrecy,” continued Peskov. “This is the only way they can be effective.”

Trump’s relationship with Putin and the Russian government was the subject of much scrutiny throughout his first term in the White House, even fueling a special counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller.

Trump has also predicted that he would end the war between Ukraine and Russian within 24 hours of moving back into the white.

“I would say certain things to Putin. I would say certain things to Zelensky,” explained Trump in a 2023 interview.