Russia’s Putin Promises to Inquire About Missing American Journalist Austin Tice After Mother’s Plea

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to investigate the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria since 2012, following a heartfelt letter from Tice’s mother, CNN reports.

The promise came during Putin’s lengthy annual end-of-year press conference on Thursday.

Responding to a question from NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons, Putin said he would raise the issue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has found refuge in Russia. While acknowledging the passage of 12 years and the complexities of the Syrian conflict, Putin expressed willingness to inquire, saying he would “ask this question to those people who control the situation on the ground in Syria today.”

The impetus for Putin’s statement was a letter from Debra Tice, Austin’s mother, directly appealing to the Russian president for assistance. In the letter, she emphasized the potential for Russia, a long-time ally and supporter of the Assad, to leverage its connections to help locate her son.

Debra Tice, in an interview with NBC News, said she had no reservations about contacting Putin.

Austin Tice, a freelance journalist, disappeared in Syria in 2012.