Tag: Vedant Patel

US Designates Reporter Held in Russia as ‘Wrongfully Detained’

The State Department announced on April 10 that it has designated Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” in Russia. The designation will allow the department to allocate more resources toward freeing Gershkovich as the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, led by Roger Carstens, will work to secure…


US Welcomes Pause in Israeli Judicial Reform Plan: White House

The United States welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement on March 27 that Israel will halt its attempt at judicial reform until the next legislative session, which will be after Passover. In Israel, Passover starts on April 5 and ends on April 12 (April 13 outside of Israel). “We welcome this announcement as an…


US Not Considering Fighter Jets for Ukraine After Poland, Slovakia Pledge More Than a Dozen MiGs

The United States is not considering sending fighter jets to Ukraine despite fellow NATO members Poland and Slovakia pledging to send MiG-29s to the Eastern European country amid Russia’s invasion, said the State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on March 21. During the State Department press briefing, in response to a question from The…