‘UNACCEPTABLE’

White House Blasts Russia’s Arrest of WSJ Reporter

The White House press secretary also urged U.S. citizens not to travel to the country.

The White House condemned Russia’s detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Thursday, saying it is “actively working” to try and reach him. “The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement, according to CNN. “We also condemn the Russian government’s continued targeting and repression of journalists and freedom of the press.” Gershkovich was detained on Thursday and accused by Russian authorities of “espionage,” the first case of a U.S. journalist arrested in Moscow since the Cold War. The White House also urged U.S. citizens not to travel to Russia and, for those that live there, to leave immediately.