WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top U.S. diplomat in charge of hostage affairs pledged on Wednesday to bring home two Americans detained by Russia – journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan – as he pressed Moscow to concede consular access to the Wall Street Journal reporter.
“The President of the United States and the Secretary are committed to bringing Evan home and Paul Whelan as well. And we will do whatever it takes to accomplish that task,” Roger Carstens, US Special Presidential Envoy, told CNN.
In a series of television interviews, Carstens repeated Washington’s request that Moscow allow a consular visit to detained Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich, who has had minimal contact with his lawyers since his arrest two weeks ago.
Gershkovich appears to be in good spirits and good health, the diplomat said.
“But we weren’t able to verify that through a consular visit,” Carstens told ABC News.
Earlier in Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia was considering granting access.
The US State Department designated Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained,” a move Ryabkov said would not change Moscow’s approach to the case.
“We will not tolerate any attempts to put pressure on us,” Ryabkov told Russian state news agency Tass.
Russia’s security service has accused Gershkovich, without providing evidence, of collecting classified information as a state secret about a military factory. The Wall Street Journal denies Russia’s allegations.
(Reporting by Reuters, Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey)
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