Trump promises to free WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich from Russian prison

During his recent interview with Time magazine, Donald Trump vowed that if elected in November, he would succeed in securing the release of Evan Gershkovich.

"We just passed the one year anniversary of Evan Gershkovich's detainment in Russia," reporter Eric Cortellessa began in the Time interview with Trump. "Why haven't you called for his release?"

Trump pointed out that he had been rather busy lately, but that he had nonetheless "said very good things about [Gershkovich]" in private.

"I'll call for it right now," he added, explaining how he'd get it done as president.

"Here's a difference between me and Biden," Trump said. "I think Biden has dealt with Putin very poorly. Putin should never have gone into Ukraine, and he didn't go in for four years with me. I get along very well with Putin. The reporter should be released and he will be released. I don't know if he's going to be released under Biden."

The Wall Street Journal reporter has been stuck in a Russian jail since last year after being detained by the nation's Federal Security Service on suspicion of espionage.

The former president said he believed Gershkovich's arrest marked "a terrible precedent," adding that he was "very surprised that he hasn't been released."

"I will get him released if he's not released by the time we get to office," Trump vowed. "Putin is going to release him."

A court in Moscow ruled in March that Gershkovich must remain in jail until late June. A judge originally ruled that he should be detained for a period of just two months, however by the time the recent extension is over he will have been imprisoned for 15 months.

Gershkovich's latest appeal to be released from pre-trial detention was denied, though no date has been set for the proceedings to begin.