Paul Whelan, an American who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly five years, pressed Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call in August to ensure that he is not left behind again, Whelan told CNN.
“I told him point blank that leaving me here the first time painted a target on my back and leaving me here the second time basically signed a death warrant,” said Whelan, who called CNN on Friday from his remote prison camp in Mordovia. He said he told the top US diplomat that “unless they got me back, it could be quite challenging in the future, especially with my age and the sort of work we have to do from a health and safety point of view.”
Despite his strong words to Blinken, Whelan expressed confidence that work is being done to secure his release, but said he was frustrated at the slow pace and wanted to ensure he wasn’t forgotten amid “other geopolitical issues.” He would like to speak with President Joe Biden “and find out if he will do what he’s promised to do.”
He is aware that the Russians consider him as “high value, so they want something high value in return,” he said.
On their phone call in August, Blinken “told me that he’s working quite diligently and his team is working quite diligently to find a resolution to this situation,” Whelan recounted, describing Blinken as “a person who obviously cares and he cares deeply about the situation.”
“I think everyone’s trying to do the right thing, and I know that this will come to an end at some point. How long it will take I don’t know. But I’m being promised that I won’t be left behind here,” he said.
Whelan – who is also an Irish, British and Canadian citizen – was detained at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 by Russian authorities who alleged he was involved in an intelligence operation. The former US Marine was sentenced to 16…
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