Russia announced today that a possible prisoner exchange which will also include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovichcan be considered after being trieddespite efforts by the United States to press for his release.

Gershkovich was arrested last month after Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accused him of collecting classified information about a military plant, a claim the Wall Street Journal and the United States dismissed as false.

“The question of exchanging anyone can be considered after the court has given its verdict specifically on this or that charge,” said the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov as reported by the TASS agency.

“For the exchanges, we have a special channel for this, the security services are working with him, and they will continue to work with him on this issue,” said Ryabkov.

Washington’s hostage envoy vowed yesterday to do “whatever it takes” to return Gershkowitz and ex-Marine Paul Whelan, another US citizen captured in Russia, to pressure Moscow to grant consular access to the Wall reporter Street Journal.

The United States says Gerskovich is being “arbitrarily detained,” calling the espionage charges false and political.

The Kremlin today reiterated its claim that Gershkovich was arrested “on the spot” and denied a report (by Bloomberg) that President Putin himself personally approved his arrest.