The Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, revealed that "Washington threatened retaliation after the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges," indicating that "it may be time to reduce the number of American journalists in Russia." In an interview with the first channel of Russian state television, Antonov stated, "The Americans threatened us with retaliatory measures if we do not release Gershkovich in the near future. We will see how they will act."
Many American reporters left Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to Ukraine last year, and more have exited since Gershkovich's arrest. The United States has repeatedly urged its citizens to leave Russia due to the war in Ukraine and the risks of arbitrary detention or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.
