U.S. Ambassador Visits WSJ Reporter Gershkovich in Prison

The U.S. embassy in Moscow said on Friday that Ambassador Lynne Tracy had visited Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich at the Moscow prison where he is being held on spying charges.

Gershkovich was arrested during a reporting trip at the end of March in the city of Yekaterinburg, becoming the first Western reporter to be held on espionage charges in Russia since the Soviet era.

"He remains upbeat and thanks his family, friends and everyone who has been following his plight for over [the past] 250 days for their support," the U.S. Embassy said on social media.

Tracy's visit comes a day after a Moscow court upheld a ruling to keep Gershkovich in custody at least until Jan. 30, pending a trial.

It also followed remarks from President Vladimir Putin, who during a press conference on Thursday said he wanted Moscow and Washington to reach a solution in securing the release of Gershkovich, as well as jailed ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. 

The U.S. State Department responded by saying Russia had so far refused all of its offers for the release of the two American citizens and urged Putin to negotiate in good faith.

Gershkovich previously worked for The Moscow Times, and then for the French news agency Agence France Presse, before joining WSJ.