Some experts say the war in Ukraine won't be won on the battlefield. Here's what that means.U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited Monday with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, held at Moscow's Lefortovo Prison since March on espionage charges he, his employer and the"Ambassador Tracy said that Evan continues to appear in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances," the State Department said in a statement."U.S.
Tracy last visited Gershkovich six weeks ago, after which Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian and U.S.involving Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian national held in Ohio on federal cybercrime charges. Gershkovich, 31, was on a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg when he was taken into custody and later transferred to Moscow's high-security prison. The State Department determined in April that Gershkovich was"wrongfully detained" and condemned Russia for jailing a journalist.
"Once again, the United States calls on the Russian Federation to immediately release Evan Gershkovich, and also to release wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan," the State Department statement said. Whelan, a former U.S. Marine arrested in Russia in December 2018, is serving a 16-year prison sentence.∎Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Russia and Belarus in an apparent show of support for Moscow and its top ally.
The U.S. has provided more than $43 billion in weapons and ammunition since Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The latest package also includes mine-clearing equipment, which has become essential to overcome the defenses Russia has built along 600-mile front in eastern and southern Ukraine. The mines, anti-tank barriers, artillery and attack helicopters have slowed the advance of Ukrainian troops.