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American jailed in Russia blames US authorities for betraying him

Paul Whelan said that all of Washington’s promises "have been empty"

LONDON, December 21. /TASS/. Paul Whelan, a US national who was convicted of espionage in Russia in 2020, has accused the US authorities of betraying him in an interview with the BBC.

"I know the US have all sorts of proposals, but it's not what the Russians want. So they go back and forth, like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. The problem is, it's my life that's draining away while they do this. It's been five years!" Whelan pointed out. He added that Washington’s decision to leave him behind was a "serious betrayal."

According to Whelan, former US President Donald Trump’s administration "kept saying no" to Moscow’s offer to exchange him for Russian citizen Viktor Bout. Last December, Bout was exchanged for US basketball star Brittney Griner after spending 14 years in a US jail.

"It's extremely stressful knowing that I could have been home years ago," Whelan told BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford who said that she had never heard him so pessimistic or so frustrated.

"I'm extremely concerned. With each case [of US citizens detained in Russia], my case is going to the back of the line," Whelan noted, adding that all of Washington’s promises "have been empty."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the US authorities were making every possible effort to find "the right way" to get Americans detained and jailed in Russia home as soon as possible. Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said earlier that Washington was ready to discuss issues related to the exchange of Americans detained in Russia with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at a press conference on December 14 that Moscow did not reject prisoner swap talks with Washington but sought to make an agreement that would suit both parties. He added that Russia and the US were in contact on the issue. Putin stressed that such decisions should be based on humanitarian considerations.

Paul Whelan, who holds US, British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained by the FSB at a Moscow hotel on December 28, 2018, while on a spy mission.The Moscow City Court eventually sentenced Whelan to 16 years in a high-security penal colony.

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