U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has recently confirmed that he spoke with Paul Whelan, an American citizen who has been detained in Russia on espionage charges since 2018. Blinken reassured Whelan that the United States continues its relentless efforts to secure his release and the release of all other Americans who are wrongfully detained.
This recent conversation marks at least the third time Secretary Blinken has directly spoken with Whelan, a former Marine who was arrested in Moscow in December 2018. Whelan's detention has been a subject of concern for the U.S. State Department, which maintains that he is being wrongfully held by Russian authorities.
