In response to the extraordinary arrest of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was in Russia as a reporter for the Wall Street Journalthe White House he asked to all US citizens living in or in Russia at the time of leaving the country as soon as possible. Gershkovich is accused of espionage: at the time of his arrest he had been working for days on an article on the operations of the Wagner group, the mercenary company which is fighting alongside the Russian army in Ukraine and which is mainly made up of ex-military men and prisoners who is offered a reduced sentence in exchange for enlistment.
It is not the first time since the beginning of the war that the US government has made such a request. An official notice was issued in early February urging all US citizens to leave Russia immediately and to cancel any planned travel to the country, saying that in the context of strong US support for Ukraine the risk of Russian law enforcement arresting citizens Americans was higher.
“We are deeply concerned by the disturbing reports that Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen, has been arrested in Russia,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jeane-Pierre said. “It is unacceptable that the Russian government targets American citizens”