The United States itself did not include Paul Whelan in the prisoner exchange. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
The diplomat added that it is not clear why the United States brought Whelan’s sister to the UN Security Council with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“It’s rather strange to bring Paul Whelan’s relatives to a meeting of the UN Security Council on multilateralism,” Zakharova told Sputnik radio.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that during the recent exchange of prisoners, the American government preferred to send back to her native country the American basketball player Brittney Griner, convicted of drug trafficking, rather than Paul Whelan.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States was ready to find creative solutions for Gershkovich and Whelan in order to reach an agreement for the exit. These American citizens are condemned in Russia for espionage.
Read the Russia Ukraine News on The Eastern Herald.
