Biden administration says Whelan’s espionage charge complicates his release
Mike Brest
Video Embed
The Biden administration agreed to a high-profile prisoner exchange with the Kremlin to secure the release of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner on Thursday, but it was unable to do the same for Paul Whelan, another American it considers wrongfully detained.
The administration explained on Thursday morning, the day the deal for Griner was announced, that Russia rejected every proposal that included Whelan, who was convicted on espionage charges and has spent nearly four years in Russian detention, due in part to those very charges.
BRITTNEY GRINER RELEASED IN PRISONER SWAP WITH RUSSIA: ‘SHE IS SAFE’
“It has to do with the nature of the sham charges against him, which were based on espionage. That is the hook that the Russians seem to have in him. And we’re just not able to deal with him the same way that we were able to deal with Mr. [Trevor] Reed or, in this case, with Ms. Griner,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a CNN interview, referencing the prisoner swap from last spring that secured Reed’s return to the United States.
The U.S. gave up convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner’s release. Bout, who is nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” for selling illicit arms into war-torn parts of Africa, has spent more than a decade in a U.S. prison and was set to be released in the coming years.
While the Kremlin had made its desire to secure his release known, Kirby explained that “Viktor Bout was never a bargaining chip for Mr. Whelan. And the Russians consistently made that clear. So I think we need to make that well-known.”
The administration repeatedly sought to bring Griner and Whelan home through “multiple different options,” a senior administration official told reporters, though, “regrettably due to the nature of the sham espionage charges Russia levied against Paul, the Russians have treated, [and] continue to treat his situation differently from Brittany’s and rejected each and every one of our proposals for his release.”
“It was a choice to bring Brittney Griner home right now, or bring no one home right now,” the official said.
The NSC spokesperson disagreed with the notion that the administration is “back to square one” on obtaining Whelan’s freedom, though it’s unclear what bargaining chips the U.S. has remaining to secure his release.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the Kremlin was “unwilling” to release Whelan “despite our ceaseless efforts” and reiterated the administration’s commitment to him.
“While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” he said. “Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney. Nevertheless, we will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones where they belong.”
A senior U.S. official “spoke at length today with Paul from prison and talked through today’s news,” according to the administration official, while another one sat down with Elizabeth Whelan, Paul’s sister, ahead of the news breaking of Griner’s release.
David Whelan, Paul and Elizabeth’s brother, released a statement to reporters celebrating Griner’s return, while expressing anguish for his brother, calling it a “catastrophe.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage,” David Whelan said. “But how many more times do I need to write that? At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood.”
Paul Whelan himself told CNN that he’s “greatly disappointed” about the administration’s efforts to get him back.
“I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred. I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here,” he said.
Biden and other officials who have discussed Griner’s release have reiterated their intent to continue working to secure his freedom.