WASHINGTON

The White House sharply denounced a "sham trial" that began Wednesday against Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia, maintaining the journalist "is not a spy."

Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 on charges of espionage. Russia’s Federal Security Service has accused the reporter of obtaining state secrets about the military-industrial complex, which Gershkovich and the WSJ have denied, maintaining he was simply doing his job.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Gershkovich "has never been employed by the United States government."

"Journalism is not a crime, and Evan should never have been detained in the first place. Russia has failed to justify Evan's continued detention. He, like fellow American Paul Whelan, is simply being used as a bargaining chip," Kirby told reporters, referring to the former US Marine who has been held in Russia since 2000.

"We want both Evan and Paul to know that we all care deeply about their well-being and that this administration will continue to do everything it can to bring them home, and that includes right now, the effort to try to find a way to get these guys released and back to their families where they belong," he added.

Gershkovich is next expected in court when proceedings resume Aug. 13.

Earlier this month, when asked about the possibility of Gershkovich being exchanged for a Russian citizen imprisoned in the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said discussions are ongoing.

"There exist such contacts. They are ongoing and should continue to be conducted in complete silence. There cannot be any announcements here," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with heads of international news agencies on June 5 that the US "is indeed taking vigorous steps to secure his release."