Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that the United States has made an offer to the Russian government in exchange for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
Blinken told reporters at the State Department, “We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago.”Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to meet with the country’s top diplomat within a few days.
This Proposal Has Been Discussed Repeatedly?
This proposal has been discussed repeatedly and directly by our government; I plan to use our conversation to follow up personally and, I hope to move us toward a resolution,” Blinken said. When reporters pressed Blinken for more information on the US offer, he declined.
It’s “understandable” that he can’t and won’t discuss the specifics of what he suggested to the Russians over the period of so many weeks in order to get Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner back to the United States.
Additionally, Blinken refused to disclose whether or not the US offer included a prisoner swap of Griner and Whelan for Viktor Bout, as CNN reported. Bout has been sentenced to 25 years in jail in the United States.
Who Is Paul Whelan?
Canadian-Born Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) Holds Dual Citizenship with The United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
On December 28, 2018, He Was Taken Into Custody in Russia on Suspicion of Espionage. for His Crimes, He Was Sentenced to Up to 16 Years in Prison, as well as Time Served in A Work Camp, on June 15, 2020.
He Is Referred to Be a Security Director for A Large Corporation. He Was Discharged from The Marine Corps for Bad Conduct. Formerly Serving in The Michigan Police Force, It Was Said That He Had Prior Law Enforcement Experience.
Early Life.
Whelan Was Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1970 to British-Irish Parents.
Career.
Whelan Was a Police Officer in Chelsea, Michigan, from 1988 to 2000 and A Sheriff’s Deputy in Washtenaw County, Michigan, According to A Deposition He Made in 2013.
Although He Served as A Part-Time Officer for The Chelsea Police Department from 1990 to 1996, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Had No Record of His Employment at The Time. from 1998 until 2000, According to A Former Coworker, He Worked as A Patrol Officer with The Keego Harbor Police Department.
For the Kelly Services Employment Company, He Worked as An It Manager from 2001 to 2003, and Again from 2008 to 2010. as Senior Manager of Worldwide Security and Operations at Kelly Services from 2010 to 2016, Whelan Held This Position.
In 1994, He Joined the Marine Reserves.
7 from 2003 until 2008, He Served in The Marine Corps Reserves, Which Included Time Spent Serving in Iraq. with Marine Air Control Group 38, He Served as An Administrative Clerk and Administrative Chief and Was Involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom. on Various Crimes “connected to Larceny” in January 2008, He Was Found Guilty by A Court-Martial and Sentenced to 60 Days of Restriction, a Pay Grade Drop to E-4, and A Bad Conduct Discharge.
A Russian Arrest.
Whelan Was Detained by The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow on December 28, 2018, and Later Verified His Arrest.
he Was in Moscow on December 22nd to Attend the Wedding of A Former Marine and Help the Groom’s Family Members on Their First Visit to Russia, a Country He Had Previously Visited Many Times, According to Whelan’s Twin Brother David. He stated that His Brother Would Return to Michigan via Saint Petersburg on January 6, 2019.
Whelan’s $80,000 in Cash Was “temporarily Confiscated” During a Customs Examination at Domodedovo Airport, According to Mbk News, a Publication Controlled by Putin Opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
While Whelan Had Served as A Local Guide for The Wedding Guests, He was Reportedly Elected to Spend the Wedding Day with A Friend, According to Other Guests’ Accounts, as Reported by The News York Times.
Using a U.S. Passport, David Claimed that His Brother Had Entered Russia. in His Words, His Brother Had Not Communicated with Him or His Family in A Long Time. on January 3, 2019, He Was Formally Charged.
 Personal Life.
All Four of Whelan’s Countries of Birth Are Represented on His Passport.
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“Probably a Genealogical Interest as Much as Anything,” Paul’s Twin Brother, David, Said of Paul’s Purchase of The Passports.
Whelan Was Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Spent Part of His Childhood in The Ann Arbor, Michigan, Area, Where He Attended Huron High School with His Twin Brother David.
According to David, No One in The Family Was Aware Paul Had a Disciplinary Record. Additionally, Paul Whelan Has a Twin Brother, Andrew; and A Sister, Elizabeth. the Last Place Paul Whelan Called Home Was Novi, Michigan, Where He Lived Before Being Detained in Russia.
Bans on Travel and Financial Penalties?
To Combat Hostage-Taking and The Unlawful Detention of U.S. Citizens, Vice President Biden Signed an Executive Order Last Week. Bans on Travel and Financial Penalties for Anyone Involved in Hostage-Taking Will Be Authorized Through a Presidential Executive Order Titled “bolstering Effort to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home”.
An Anonymous Senior Biden Administration Official, Speaking on Condition of Anonymity, Said on July 19 that “this Executive Order Reflects the Administration’s Commitment Not Just to The Issues Generally but To the Families in Particular, and It Has Been Informed by The Government’s Regular Engagements with Them.”
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Biden Releasing Russian Pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko.
Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine, Was Exchanged for A Russian Prisoner in April. Russia Seized Reed in 2019 for Allegedly Punching a Russian Cop. He Was Convicted and Given a Nine-Year Prison Sentence in Russia.
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