'Attention up to the Oval Office': US presses Russia to release WSJ reporter. Ukraine live updates.
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Russian lawyers representing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Monday appealed his arrest on espionage charges, and efforts to win his release stretched "all the way up to the Oval Office."
No hearing date was set for the appeal, which came four days after Gershkovich was taken into custody at a restaurant in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. The Journal and U.S. government have denied Gershkovich is a spy and have demanded his release.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the Biden administration is doing all it can on behalf of Gershkovich. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a rare conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over the weekend, and Kirby said talks with the Russians will continue as appropriate.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work," Kirby said. "That doesn't mean we're going to shy away from it, we'll do that work. And so it's got attention all the way up to the Oval Office, in terms of how we can get him home."
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged that the American journalist “was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex," considered a state secret. Gershkovich was placed in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which dates from the czarist era and has been a symbol of repression since Soviet times.
“We know what’s going on in the world because of the fearless reporting of journalists like Evan," the Journal said in a weekend statement. "Evan’s case is a vicious affront to a free press, and should spur outrage in all free people and governments throughout the world."
– Francesca Chambers
WALL STREET JOURNAL CLASHES WITH RUSSIANS:WSJ 'demands' release of Evan Gershkovich after arrest by Russia for espionage
Developments:
►Kirby said the Biden administration believes the decision of the 23-nation (including Russia) OPEC+ to slash oil output until the end of the year was ill-advised "given market uncertainty."
►Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Warsaw on Wednesday for talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Polish authorities said.
►Maxim Zubarev, the Moscow-appointed head of the village of Akimovka in the southern Zaporizhzhia province, was hospitalized in grave condition after his car exploded in Melitopol.
►Ukraine's Ministry of Finance confirmed Monday receiving $2.7 billion from the International Monetary Fund, the first portion of a four-year, $15.6 billion financial aid package.
►Russian athletes will be allowed to compete at next month's world taekwondo championships. The decision by World Taekwondo’s ruling council could cause Ukraine to boycott the event.
Ukraine denies Russian claims of control over Bakhmut
The Russian flag flew over the Bakhmut city administration building Monday after a Russian mercenary leader claimed to have "technically" captured the eastern Ukraine city that has been a primary focus of the war for several weeks. But the head of the Ukraine presidential office, Andriy Yermak, dismissed the claim on social media: "Don’t pay attention on 'victory' fake inventors. Not even close to the reality."
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private Russian military company, said on a social media that the flag "is for Vladlen Tatarsky." The Russian military reporter was killed in a blast Sunday in St. Petersburg that Russian officials dubbed terrorism.
Prigozhin said commanders of Russian units had seized the entire central district of Bakhmut and were raising flags throughout. He acknowledged the Ukraine military remained in some western areas of Bakhmut.
TURKEY ENDORSES FINLAND FOR NATO:US condemns Russia detention of Wall Street Journal reporter; Finland to join NATO: Updates
Finland to join NATO in ceremony Tuesday
Finland will become the 31st member of the world's largest military alliance on Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Monday.
"I congratulated President (Sauli) @niinisto on the completion of the historic ratification of #Finland’s accession," Stoltenberg said on social media. "I look forward to raising #Finland’s flag at #NATO HQ in the coming days. Together we are stronger & safer."
At a news conference in Brussels, Stoltenberg reiterated NATO's position that eventually "Ukraine will become a member of the alliance."
Stoltenberg said Turkey, the last country to ratify Finland’s membership, will hand over official documents to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he expects Sweden will also win approval in the coming weeks. Both nations sought expedited membership after Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago.
Niinistö, Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen and Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto will attend the ceremony. Haavisto said in a statement that his country wants to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.
“It is a historic moment for us," he said. "For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATO’s support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression."
Arrest made in blast that killed pro-Kremlin blogger
Russian antiterrorism officials on Monday blamed Ukraine and supporters of jailed Putin rival Alexei Navalny for the explosion at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a prominent pro-Kremlin war blogger.
Russia's National Antiterrorism Committee issued a statement saying the blast Sunday that killed Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, and wounded about 30 others was planned by Ukrainian special services and agents collaborating with Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Investigators have said they believe the bomb was hidden in a bust of the blogger presented to him just before the explosion. Darya Trepova, 26, was arrested after video emerged showing her presenting the bust to Tatarsky, the pen name for Maxim Fomin, an ex-convict and former separatist fighter in his native Donbas region. Trepova reportedly told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust but didn’t know about the explosives.
Trepova has previously been detained by police for taking part in anti-war rallies and is an "active supporter" of Navalny, the committee said.
Anti-Corruption Foundation head Ivan Zhdanov dismissed the claims, saying it's "convenient" to blame Ukraine and Navalny's group.
"Everything that’s happening suggests that in reality, (Russian) agents themselves eliminated this propagandist," Zhdanov said in a statement. "They’ve been doing this since 2014 – poisoning and killing each other left and right."
House GOP group visits Kyiv and lends support, with conditions
A group of four congressional Republicans delivered a message of support for Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv on Monday, but made clear their backing is not unconditional.
Despite vocal opposition from some of his GOP colleagues, Rep. Michael Turner of Ohio, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said, "overwhelmingly, there is support for continuing aid to Ukraine, so that they can continue to fight against this aggression of Russia.”
Some of former President Donald Trump's staunchest allies in the House, including Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have called for the U.S. to immediately stop providing assistance to Ukraine.
Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah, who is also on the intelligence committee, said the assistance should continue but under close supervision.
“This is going to take some time,” Stewart said of the war reaching a resolution. "... I think the American people understand that, as long as they feel like progress is being made over being careful with the money and being thoughtful of how we involve U.S. resources.”
Steward also pushed for other NATO countries to live up to their commitment to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.
RUSSIAN BLOGGER KILLED:Russian blogger dies in cafe blast; US urges Moscow to free 2 Americans: Ukraine updates
Contributing: The Associated Press
