“It was a choice to get Brittney Griner or nothing,” says US official

• In December 2018, Russian police apprehended Paul Whelan in a Moscow hotel.
• He disputes his 16-year espionage sentence.
• In June 2021, he told the media he was in prison.

Russians reportedly made it clear more recently that they would only negotiate for Brittney Griner and not Paul Whelan. The reason for this is that Russians have been handling their cases in various ways depending on what they have each been accused of.

Even after Russia made it clear that only Griner was acceptable, the Biden administration made numerous offers to include Whelan in this agreement.

When it became apparent that Russia would reject the request for Whelan, the US was forced to accept it.

“It was a choice to get Brittney or nothing,” the US official said.

For President Joe Biden, it was a “tough decision,” but one he felt compelled to make, according to the official.

Recall that Whelan, a citizen of the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Canada, was arrested in a Moscow hotel in December 2018 by Russian authorities who claimed he was a part of an intelligence operation. He was found guilty of espionage and given a 16-year prison term, which he has strenuously protested.

In June 2021, Whelan informed Media that he was serving his term in a labor camp in Mordovia, an eight-hour drive from Moscow, and that he had been spending his days working in a garment factory he referred to as a “sweatshop.”

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