The imprisonment of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is a means for the Kremlin to achieve several strategic objectives against its adversary the United States.

Gershkovich, 32, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges on Friday following a swiftly executed trial that his employer and the U.S. government decried as a sham — an unprecedented case against a foreign journalist in modern Russia.

If a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich does take place — and all the requirements for this are now in place — President Vladimir Putin will maximize his propaganda gains by handing over an "American spy" who is in reality a talented journalist. The swap will serve as confirmation that this tactic — holding U.S. citizens as political pawns — is an acceptable and effective means for the Kremlin to get what it wants the future.

The Russian army's failed attempt to capture Kyiv on Putin's orders in February 2022, and the bloody war that has followed, presented the Kremlin with a number of dilemmas.

The Kremlin needed to maintain a communication channel with the White House, even........

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