Russia's Isolation Increases with the Arrest of an American Journalist

Russia has accused an American journalist of espionage as NATO approaches the accession of Finland to its membership, exacerbating tensions between Moscow and the West as the war in Ukraine reaches its 400th day. In a video address on Thursday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about the "terrible path" his country has taken during 400 days of resistance since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. He stated, "Ukraine will prevail on the front... we will leave no trace of Russia on our land and will not leave any enemy unpunished." Although the Ukrainian president did not go into details, his army is planning to launch a counteroffensive. The journalist has been transferred to Moscow, where a court, in a closed session, decided to place him in pre-trial detention until May 29. Under Russian law, the penalty for espionage can reach up to 20 years in prison. Western political analysts predict that Moscow may seek to exchange Gershkovich in a prisoner swap deal with Washington or use him to gain diplomatic leverage in some other way.