Current:Home > MarketsPutin says at news conference he hopes to "find a solution" on Americans Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan-LoTradeCoin
Putin says at news conference he hopes to "find a solution" on Americans Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan
View Date:2024-12-24 00:19:37
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was in talks with the United States over detained Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. In his end-of-year news conference on Thursday, Putin said he hoped to "find a solution" even though "it's not easy."
His comments come after the U.S. State Department said last week that Russia had recently rejected a "new and significant" proposal for the release of the two Americans. On Thursday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington has "put multiple offers on the table."
"So far we have seen them refuse to take us up on our proposals and we hope that they will change the way they've handled this going forward," Miller said.
Putin's event Thursday was his first year-end news conference since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The country's longtime leader recently announced he would be running for another six-year term as president in Russia's upcoming March election.
Detained Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan
Gershkovich, a journalist with the Wall Street Journal, has been imprisoned in Russia since March, when he was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg and accused of espionage. Both Gershkovich and the Wall Street Journal deny the allegations against him, and the United States declared him to be wrongfully detained.
A Moscow court on Thursday refused a fourth appeal to release Gershkovich from pretrial detention, leaving him under arrest until Jan. 30, 2024.
Whelan, a corporate security executive, has been jailed in Russia since 2018 on espionage-related charges that he and the U.S. government dispute.
"As my government has said countless times, the charges against Evan and Paul are baseless," U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said in a statement. "The U.S. government will continue to advocate for Evan's immediate release, and the release of all wrongfully detained Americans overseas."
Putin said there was a dialogue between Russia and the U.S.
"It's not easy, I won't go into details right now. But in general, it seems to me that we're speaking a language each of us understands," Putin said. "I hope we will find a solution. But, I repeat, the American side must hear us and make a decision that will satisfy the Russian side as well."
The war in Ukraine
During the four-hour news conference, Putin also spoke about the war in Ukraine, saying Russia would achieve "victory" and that its goals remain the same: the demilitarization and "denazification" of Ukraine, referring to the Kremlin's narrative that the war is about liberating the country from Nazis.
"I am sure that victory will be ours," Putin said, claiming Russian troops were "improving their position on almost the entire line of contact."
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it has been hit by a myriad of Western sanctions. Despite Russia's international isolation, Putin said the country was prepared to continue and would not need to mobilize more troops.
"There is enough for us not only to feel confident, but to move forward," he said.
Ukraine's counteroffensive over the summer against Russia did not make much progress, and Western support for Ukraine's war effort appears to be dampening amid political disputes in the U.S. and the EU.
Caitlin Yilek contributed reporting.
- In:
- Paul Whelan
- Evan Gershkovich
- Russia
- Vladimir Putin
Haley Ott is cbsnews.com's foreign reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau. Haley joined the cbsnews.com team in 2018, prior to which she worked for outlets including Al Jazeera, Monocle, and Vice News.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (6)
Related
- LSU student arrested over threats to governor who wanted a tiger at college football games
- Boston Celtics misidentify Lauren Holiday USWNT kit worn by Jrue Holiday
- In today's global migrant crisis, echoes of Dorothea Lange's American photos
- Why did the Texas Panhandle fires grow so fast?
- Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
- Fans briefly forced to evacuate Assembly Hall during Indiana basketball game vs. Wisconsin
- Gary Sinise's son, McCanna 'Mac' Anthony, dead at 33 from rare spine cancer: 'So difficult losing a child'
- Why AP called Michigan for Trump: Race call explained
- Why Outer Banks Fans Think Costars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Used Stunt Doubles Amid Rumored Rift
- Thousands expected at memorial service for 3 slain Minnesota first responders
Ranking
- Man accused of killing American tourist in Budapest, putting her body in suitcase: Police
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth to bring up vote on bill to protect access to IVF nationwide
- A new mom died after giving birth at a Boston hospital. Was corporate greed to blame?
- Chanel Iman Marries Davon Godchaux 5 Months After Welcoming Baby No. 3
- FanDuel Sports Network regional channels will be available as add-on subscription on Prime Video
- Rep. Lauren Boebert's son Tyler arrested on 22 criminal charges, Colorado police say
- What time does 'Survivor' Season 46 start? Premiere date, episode sneak peak, where to watch
- FDA to develop new healthy logo this year – here's what consumers could see, and which foods could qualify
Recommendation
-
Footage shows Oklahoma officer throwing 70-year-old to the ground after traffic ticket
-
Supreme Court grapples with whether to uphold ban on bump stocks for firearms
-
SF apology to Black community: 'Important step' or 'cotton candy rhetoric'?
-
Florida's response to measles outbreak troubles public health experts
-
‘COP Fatigue’: Experts Warn That Size and Spectacle of Global Climate Summit Is Hindering Progress
-
Nationwide Superfund toxic waste cleanup effort gets another $1 billion installment
-
Ban on gender-affirming care for minors allowed to take effect in Indiana
-
How Hakeem Jeffries’ Black Baptist upbringing and deep-rooted faith shapes his House leadership