President Joe Biden revealed that he will try to speak with the family of detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich during his Tuesday flight to Belfast.

Gershkovich is being held in Russia on charges of espionage that both the United States and his employer have denied. Biden noted that he attempted to call Gershkovich's family on Monday but didn't get through.

STATE DEPARTMENT RULES US REPORTER TO BE WRONGFULLY DETAINED IN RUSSIA

“I called them yesterday — we miscalled. And we're trying from the plane,” Biden told reporters before departing on his four-day trip to Northern Ireland. “We’re making it real clear that it’s totally illegal what’s happening.”

Biden and his administration have forcefully condemned Gershkovich's arrest. On Monday, the State Department designated him as "wrongfully detained" and ramped up efforts to bring him back home. Biden added that the designation “changes the dynamic.”

With that designation, the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs will now assume responsibility for Gershkovich's case.

Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in late March in Yekaterinburg, Russia. He is facing a 20-year prison sentence and is being held at a detention center in Lefortovo prison until May 29. Gershkovich has appealed his imprisonment.

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So far, U.S. personnel have not been granted access to visit him. Gershkovich is the son of Soviet-born exiles who moved to the United States. He started at the Wall Street Journal in 2022.

Attorneys for Gershkovich said he is healthy and grateful for the support he has received, according to the Wall Street Journal.