Russia has accused a US journalist of spying as Finland moves closer to becoming a member of the Western military alliance North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), deepening tensions between Moscow and the West as war in Ukraine looms over the 400th day this Friday.
On Thursday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke on video about the “tremendous path” his country has traveled in the 400 days since its invasion of Russia on February 24, 2022.
“Ukraine will win at the front…we will not leave a single trace of Russia on our land and we will not leave any enemy unpunished either. We are preparing news about that,” he said. He did not provide details, but the Ukrainian military is planning a counter-offensive.
On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal denied spying charges against its reporter, Evan Gershkovich, and called for his immediate release. The Kremlin said it was “caught in the act” but did not provide any documentary or video evidence.
The White House condemned Russia’s action and urged US citizens living in or traveling to Russia to leave immediately.
“These allegations of espionage are ridiculous. The fact that the Russian government is targeting American citizens is unacceptable,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a news conference.
Russia’s FSB security service said it arrested Gershkovich, a 31-year-old man who worked in Russia as a journalist for six years, in the industrial city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals, ‘on charges of spying for the interests of United States government”.
He was taken to Moscow, where a closed court ordered him to be held in custody until 29 May. Espionage under Russian law can be punished with up to 20 years in prison.
Western political analysts have speculated that Moscow may be trying to trade Gershkovich in a prisoner swap with Washington or use him as diplomatic leverage in some other way.
“MORE BORN, NOT LESS”
Separately, the Turkish parliament passed a bill on Thursday to allow Finland to join NATO. Turkey’s parliament was the latest of 30 members of the western defense alliance to ratify Finland’s accession after Hungary’s parliament passed a similar bill on Monday.
Sweden is also seeking NATO membership in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One of Russia’s main justifications for the invasion was to prevent the expansion of the Western military alliance. The alliance and its members provided Kiev with military and economic aid.
“Finland and Sweden will soon become members, which means that President Putin is getting the exact opposite of what he wanted,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told Fox News. “He Wanted Less NATO. He’s Getting More NATO.”
Source: Terra
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