Former president Donald Trump claimed Thursday that he would leverage his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the U.S. presidential election to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russia.

Gershkovich has been held for more than a year without formal charges or a trial. The American citizen was arrested in March 2023 while on a reporting trip and faces allegations of espionage that he, the Wall Street Journal and U.S. government vehemently deny.