Before Gershkovich was freed, his captors "had another piece of writing they required from him, an official request for presidential clemency. The text, moreover, should be addressed to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. . . . the Journal’s Russia correspondent filled the page. The last line submitted a proposal of his own: After his release, would Putin be willing to sit down for an interview?"
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https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/evan-gershkovich-prisoner-exchange-ccb39ad3