NEW YORK, June 26. /TASS/. Former US President Donald Trump says he will bring Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter accused of espionage in Russia, back home to the US if he is re-elected.

"Evan Gershkovich <...> will be released prior to my taking office if I win the Election on November 5th," Trump wrote on his Truth Social page. "[US President] Joe [Biden] can’t do anything right <...> [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has no respect for Biden," Trump pointed out.

Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia was in contact with the US side on the situation with Gershkovich but would not give any details.

Gershkovich, who was in Russia as a WSJ correspondent, was detained in Yekaterinburg in late March 2023 and charged with espionage. According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the journalist was trying to obtain secret information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison. He does not admit his guilt.