Paul Whelan, a retired U.S. Marine left behind in Russia during a recent prisoner swap agreement, feels abandoned by the Biden administration. According to BBC, Whelan believes that the U.S. has been making proposals that do not align with what the Russians want. As a result, negotiations have been slow, and Whelan is frustrated with the delay in his release, noting that it has been a five-year battle.
Whelan is currently serving a 16-year sentence at a remote Russian labor camp. The conditions have seriously declined, and in November, he suffered an abrasion beneath one of his eyes after being attacked by a fellow prisoner. His incarceration has prompted him to reach out to the Biden administration for help, but he feels that his desperation has fallen on deaf ears.
Whelan said in the interview, “It’s extremely stressful knowing that I could have been home years ago. It’s extremely frustrating to know that they’ve made these mistakes. They’ve basically abandoned me here.” To Whelan, the decision to leave him behind feels like a “serious betrayal.”
Whelan is not the only American left in the Russian penal system. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is also being held in Russia, accused of espionage. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the administration is actively working on freeing both Whelan and Gershkovich.
With the numerous prisoner swaps occurring, Whelan is concerned that he will get left behind once again. “I’m extremely concerned,” he said. “With each case, my case is going to the back of the line. They’ve kind of just left me in the dust. And at this point, this juncture, it’s very concerning.”
Whelan believes that the promises made by the U.S. have been empty. Despite the administration’s assurances that they are working on his release, Whelan feels that he has been left behind by the country he served.