PAUL WHELAN

MOSCOW — (AP) — Russia's Federal Security Service said Thursday it has initiated an espionage case against a U.S. citizen, but did not name the person or specify whether they were in custody. “Generally, the Russian Federation does not abide by its obligations to provide timely notification of the detention of U.S. citizens in Russia," Patel said. "Russian authorities also don’t regularly inform the embassy of the trials, sentencing or movement of U.S. citizens. We’re looking into this matter and will continue to monitor it.”The charge carries a potential prison term of 10-20 years. Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been jailed in Russia for four years on espionage charges that his family and the United States government have said are baseless.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Biden administration is marking the four-year anniversary of the detention in Russia of American businessman Paul Whelan, whose continued imprisonment is one of several major irritants in tattered relations between Washington and Moscow. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Wednesday that securing Whelan's release remains a top administration priority. The administration considers Whelan, like Griner, to have been wrongfully detained. “His detention remains unacceptable, and we continue to press for his immediate release at every opportunity,” Blinken said. U.S. officials said Russia refused to consider including Whelan in the Griner deal, calling it a “one or none” decision.

The Biden administration is marking the four-year anniversary of the detention in Russia of American businessman Paul Whelan.

Brittney Griner has asked her supporters to advocate for the release of Paul Whelan, a former Marine serving a 16-year prison term in Russia for espionage charges the United States are baseless.

The WNBA star asked social media followers to join her in sending letters to Whelan, who is still detained in Russia.

>> Read more trending newsIn the letter, posted to Griner’s Instagram account, Griner offered her thanks to those who fought for months for her to be released from Russian custody. “Thanks to the efforts of many, including you, I am home after nearly 10 months. After months of negotiations, President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a prisoner exchange of Brittany Griner for convicted firearms dealer Viktor Bout, The Associated Press reported. The prisoner exchange did not include former marine Paul Whelan, who has been held in Russia since 2018. In her letter, Griner encouraged her fans to support Whelan, saying, “My family’s whole and now, thanks to you, we are fortunate to get to spend the holidays together.

WNBA star Brittney Griner penned a letter to supporters thanking them and urged them to write to Paul Whelan, who is also imprisoned in Russia.

The WNBA star, who returned to the U.S. on Friday morning after a prisoner swap with Russia, shared a photo of herself walking off of a jet and a photo of herself hugging her wife, Cherelle.

Was American teacher left behind in Russian prison camp after similar offense because he wasn't woke enough for Biden? Griner is free but he’s still in custody.

NBC News has been embroiled in controversy over recent stories involving Paul Pelosi, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman and WNBA star Brittney Griner.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan described the administration's commitment to bringing Paul Whelan home as "absolutely rock solid."

Just before midday on Aug. 23, 2019, Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili headed to a local mosque through Kleiner Tiergarten, a park in central Berlin, to attend Friday prayers. He never made it. A Georgian national of ethnic Chechen descent, Khangoshvili was fatally shot three times, once in the shoulder, twice in the head.

Just before midday on Aug. 23, 2019, Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili headed to a local mosque through Kleiner Tiergarten, a park in central Berlin, to attend Friday prayers. He never made it. A Georgian national of ethnic Chechen descent, Khangoshvili was fatally shot three times, once in the shoulder, twice in the head.

Ukraine's damaged civil infrastructure will be on the agenda of an international donor conference in Paris.

Griner hit the court at Fort Sam in Houston, where she is undergoing medical evaluations and spending time with family, her agent said.

The White House said the Biden administration is “bound and determined” to bring Marine veteran Paul Whelan home to the United States; it is “as high a priority as the president has.”

Griner made connections with the people responsible for getting her home, spending time getting to know them and sharing details about her time away.

Brittney Griner was back in the U.S. and resting up as she was returned in a 1-for-1 prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout and her agent shed some light on her doings.

Kremlin requested the release of former Russian Colonel Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence in Germany for murder, in exchange for Whelan.

Former President Trump on Sunday said he turned down a deal to release former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who’s been detained by Moscow since 2018, in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout during his time in the White House. “I turned down a deal with Russia for a one on one swap of the…

This week, Paul Whelan’s sister watched as politicians and pundits weaponized the imprisoned American’s plight.

WNBA star Brittney Griner didn’t want any alone time as soon as she boarded a U.S. government plane that would bring her home.

John Kirby said Sunday that "there was never a choice" between WNBA star Brittney Griner and U.S. former Marine Paul Whelan in the recent prisoner swap with Russia.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — WNBA star Brittney Griner didn't want any alone time as soon as she boarded a U.S. government plane that would bring her home. I want to talk,” Griner said, according to Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who helped secure the basketball star’s release and bring her back to the U.S. last week. “It was really amazing.”Ultimately, Griner spent about 12 hours of an 18-hour flight talking with others on the plane, Carstens said. The U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected. But the U.S. was unable to secure the freedom of Paul Whelan, who has been held in Russia for nearly four years.

WNBA star Brittney Griner didn’t want quiet time as soon as she boarded a U.S. government plane that would bring her home.

The Washington Post reported on Department of Justice officials who believe the prisoner swap of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Brittney Griner was a "mistake."

David Whelan criticizes former President Trump over his response to a deal which freed WNBA player Brittney Griner in exchange for the release of arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner is lucky to be home, when Americans like Austin Tice remain in a foreign prison [Opinion]

The former president highlighted Paul Whelan's incarceration while criticizing a White House deal freeing another inmate, Brittney Griner.

The average number of Americans detained abroad has risen by nearly six hundred per cent during the past decade.

The brother of former Marine Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years, slammed former President Trump on Friday after Trump criticized the Biden administration for the deal it struck to free WNBA star Brittney Griner but not Whelan. David Whelan said in a post on Twitter that Trump seems to…

The State Department this summer added a risk indicator to its travel advisories for Russia and several countries.

NBC News issued a correction after reporting President Biden could have received Paul Whelan, instead of Brittney Griner, in the controversial trade for Viktor Bout.

While securing the swap may have scored points for President Joe Biden at home, the same goes for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

MOSCOW — (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that more U.S.-Russian prisoner exchanges are possible if Moscow and Washington find a compromise. Putin spoke a day after Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was swapped for WNBA star and two-time Olympian Brittney Griner. Asked after a summit in Kyrgyzstan whether other prisoners could be swapped, Putin replied that “everything is possible,” noting that “compromises have been found” that cleared the way for Thursday’s exchange of Griner for Bout. “We aren’t refusing to continue this work in the future,” the Russian leader said, making his first comments about the closely watched trade. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “We registered what Mr. Putin said, let’s see what he actually does.”Putin said the U.S.-Russia talks that resulted in Thursday’s exchange didn’t touch on other subjects.

Elizabeth Whelan said she is pleased to see Brittney Griner come home and that "any wrongfully detained American that comes back from overseas is a win for America."

MOSCOW — (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that more U.S.-Russian prisoner exchanges are possible if Moscow and Washington find a compromise. Putin spoke a day after Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was swapped for WNBA star and two-time Olympian Brittney Griner. Asked after a summit in Kyrgyzstan whether other prisoners could be swapped, Putin replied that “everything is possible,” noting that “compromises have been found” that cleared the way for Thursday’s exchange of Griner for Bout. “We aren’t refusing to continue this work in the future,” the Russian leader said, making his first comments about the closely watched trade. Putin said the U.S.-Russia talks that resulted in Thursday’s exchange didn’t touch on other subjects.

For months, the Biden administration has tried in vain to push Russia to release two Americans who the U.S. considers to be wrongfully detained. Meanwhile, Retired Marine Paul Whelan remained inside a Russian penal colony, where he is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage charges that both he and the State Department say are baseless. Former State Department foreign services officer David Salvo told Yahoo Sports that Russia had two main objectives during prisoner exchange negotiations: To bring Bout home and to "inflict maximum pain on the Biden administration." Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, was arrested in Moscow four years ago after allegedly receiving a USB drive with classified material from a Russian citizen. “I think this was Paul Whelan’s best chance to get home.”

MOSCOW — (AP) — Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who returned to his homeland after 14 years in a U.S. prison as part of a swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner, said the West is bent on destroying Russia. Bout, dubbed the “Merchant of Death” who provided arms for some of the world’s worst conflicts, was seen in Russia as unjustly imprisoned after an overly aggressive U.S. sting operation. “The West believes that it has failed to finish us off when the Soviet Union began to collapse,” Bout said. “It has no impact on the overall state of bilateral ties that looks sad," Peskov said in televised remarks. Still, they said they believe communication channels with the Russians remain open for negotiations about his freedom.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says more U.S.-Russian prisoner exchanges are possible

Russian President Vladimir Putin says more U.S.-Russian prisoner exchanges are possible.

Several Republican lawmakers and political commentators have criticized President Biden for excluding for US Marine Paul Whelan in a Russian prisoner swap announced Thursday.

Britney Griner is a free woman after 294 days behind bars in Russia, to the relief of just about everyone in the basketball world. To have her a part of the basketball brother and sisterhood, it's a big day for us and what we do. Most notable among those Americans detained is Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years. Even when offered a straight Whelan-for-Bout exchange, Russia reportedly balked at negotiating. My comments on “The Shop” regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson weighs in on President Biden trading a Russian arms dealer in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

Anne Fogel’s brother Marc and another American Paul Whelan weren’t part of the exchange — a huge blow to their families.

The efforts to secure Griner's release resulted in the highest-level diplomatic contact between the U.S. and Russia in months.

The deal left in Russian custody another American prisoner, Paul Whelan, who U.S. officials had hoped to free as well in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a high-profile prisoner exchange as the U.S. released notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. Russian media showed Griner walking off a Russian plane in Abu Dhabi where she was greeted by a U.S. official. Biden spoke by phone with Griner, and she was expected back in the U.S. within 24 hours, Biden said. “We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said.

On Thursday, Bout and Griner began their journeys home after a dramatic one-for-one swap. A Russian official said last week a deal was possible by the end of the year. Cherelle Griner was invited to the White House for a meeting with national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and she was with Biden Thursday morning when he was notified Griner was secure. Brittney Griner was put through to the Oval Office and Biden said, “It’s Joe Biden. Arriving there, too, was Bout, who was not presented with his official clemency paperwork until U.S. officials knew Griner was also present.

The one-for-one swap involving Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout was not the one that U.S. officials had hoped to negotiate or were initially willing to accept.

The WNBA star’s return is well worth celebrating. Let’s hope there’s more good news to come.

Paul Whelan, a 52-year-old retired U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has been imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges since his arrest at the end of 2018.

Brittney Griner’s loved ones and extended basketball family were ecstatic when news broke about her release from a Russian prison and that she was on her way back to the United States.

Convicted of espionage charges that both he and U.S. officials say are baseless, the American remains imprisoned in Russia despite two high-profile exchanges this year.

The detained American told CNN he is happy that the White House was able to secure Brittney Griner’s release from Russia in a prisoner swap but is "greatly disappointed" that it hasn't been able to secure his.

The brother of an American detained in Russia since 2018 says that his family fears he will not be released for years.

American basketball star Brittney Griner is heading home, freed from Russian prison in exchange for the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The family of Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia for espionage, says that he has resumed contact after unexpectedly becoming unreachable in November.

Russia’s foreign minister has accused the West of becoming directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine by supplying it with weapons and training its soldiers.

A senior Russian diplomat says Russia and the United States repeatedly came close to reaching agreement on a prisoner exchange and a deal remains possible before the year’s end.

WNBA star Brittney Griner this week began serving her nine-year sentence for drug possession at a Russian penal colony.

A show of prison artwork by a Russian arms trader serving 25 years in the United States and the focus of speculation about a prisoner swap that could free WBNA star Brittney Griner has opened at the upper chamber of the Russian parliament.

CIA Director Bill Burns has met with his Russian intelligence counterpart to warn of consequences if Russia were to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden says he hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin will be more willing to negotiate the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner now that the U.S. midterm elections are over.

The Kremlin has reiterated that any discussions about a possible swap involving U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner who is serving a nine-year prison sentence in Russia for drug possession must be strictly confidential.

Brittney Griner spent her 32nd birthday in a Russian prison, awaiting an appeal to her nine-year sentence for drug possession that’s set for next week.

WNBA star Brittney Griner is at her “absolute weakest moment in life right now” as she faces a hearing in Russia later this month for her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession.

Venezuela’s government has freed seven Americans imprisoned in the South American country in exchange for the release of two nephews of President Nicolás Maduro’s wife who had been jailed for years by the United States on drug smuggling convictions.

The Biden administration should create an additional senior-level position at the White House National Security Council to focus on cases of Americans wrongfully detained in foreign countries.

Top WNBA players are finding other places to compete this winter, not wanting to go back to Russia after the arrest and conviction of Brittney Griner on drug possession charges and the country's invasion of Ukraine.

President Joe Biden met with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detained in Russia, Paul Whelan.

President Joe Biden plans to meet at the White House on Friday with the families of WNBA star Brittney Griner and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, both of whom remain jailed in Russia.

The Biden administration has selected a veteran foreign service officer with years of experience in Russian affairs to be the next U.S. ambassador to Russia.

Bill Richardson, who has worked to secure the releases of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, visited Moscow this week and held meetings with Russian leaders.

Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations, says he's hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.

The Kremlin says it’s open to talking about a possible prisoner exchange involving American basketball star Brittney Griner but strongly warned Washington against publicizing the issue.

Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home.

A judge in Russia convicted American basketball star Brittney Griner of drug possession and smuggling.

American basketball star Brittney Griner is back in court for her trial for cannabis possession amid U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure her release.

Since Brittney Griner last appeared in her trial for cannabis possession, the question of her fate has expanded from a cramped courtroom on Moscow’s outskirts to the highest level of Russia-U.S. diplomacy.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and urged Moscow to accept a U.S. proposal to release WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detainee, Paul Whelan.

Russia's top diplomat says he’s open to a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss a possible prisoner swap involving American basketball star Brittney Griner.

The Biden administration likes to say Russia is isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin has warned that a possible prisoner swap with the United States involving American basketball star Brittney Griner needs to be negotiated quietly without fanfare.

The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.

WNBA star Brittney Griner testified at her drug possession trial in Russia that an interpreter translated only a fraction of what was said during questioning when she was detained at Moscow’s airport in February and officials told her to sign documents without giving an explanation.

The latest Russian court hearing in the drug trial of American basketball star Brittney Griner has focused on testimony about countries that regard cannabis as having legitimate medicinal uses.

The spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry says the United States has shown disrespect for Russian law by characterizing basketball star Brittney Griner’s jailing on drug charges as “wrongful detention.”.

A lawyer for WNBA star Brittney Griner at her drug possession trial has given a Russian court a letter from a U.S. doctor recommending she use cannabis to treat pain.

The drug possession trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner has resumed, with the head of the Russian club she plays for in the offseason and a teammate from that squad testifying in support of her character and what she has meant for women’s basketball in the country.

A Russian arms dealer labeled the “Merchant of Death” and who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines again.

LeBron James is publicly criticizing the United States’ handling of WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner’s case in a trailer for an upcoming episode of his television show: “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”.

President Joe Biden has spoken by phone with the sister of Paul Whelan, an American who has been imprisoned in Russia for more than three years.

When Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession in a Russian court, hopes rose that her months of detention may soon be over, either through a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap or a pardon from President Vladimir Putin.

WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

Brittney Griner’s appeal to President Joe Biden in a handwritten letter continued to garner reaction Tuesday after the WNBA All-Star acknowledged she feared never returning home and asked Biden not “forget about me and the other American Detainees.”.

WNBA star Brittney Griner has gone on trial in a Russian court on charges of possessing cannabis oil.

WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in a court near Moscow that ordered her trial on cannabis possession charges to begin Friday, about 4 1/2 months after she was arrested at an airport while returning to play for a Russian team.

Brittney Griner will have a place at the WNBA All-Star Game.

State Department officials have met with representatives of Brittney Griner’s WNBA team about the Phoenix Mercury star’s monthslong detention in Russia and the Biden administration’s efforts to secure her release.