WNBA star Brittney Griner is finally back to her everyday life and her supporters couldn’t be more relieved and thankful. However, when Griner was released from her exile in Russia many had hoped that she would be accompanied by former US Marine Paul Whelan. While Griner spent 10 awful months in prison, Whelan has been away from his family for nearly four years. Upon returning, Griner had asked her supporters to help keep demands of Whelan’s swift return alive. Amidst Griner’s pleas to the public, major news regarding Whelan has come to light through a recent report.

In 2018, Paul Whelan was detained in Moscow by the Russian authorities under charges of espionage. He had admittedly visited the country to help out a friend who was supposed to get married to a Russian woman. However, Whelan was instead arrested and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.

US officials provide major update regarding Paul Whelan

According to a recent CNN report, American officials have engaged in direct discussions with Russian authorities regarding the release of Paul Whelan. Ned Price, the spokesperson for the US State Department, stated that the US government are going to do everything in their power to bring the 53-year-old ex-marine back home to the United States.

?Our imperative is to see that outcome brought about swiftly so it doesn?t do us any good to speak to the details of that. But we said we are going to be committed, we?re going to be relentless, we?re going to be creative in doing everything we can to bring about Paul Whelan?s return to United States, return to his family,? Price said during a press conference.

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Furthermore, during Whelan’s exclusive call with CNN, he shared that he was ‘wrongfully arrested’ and hoped that the American government will help him get back home ‘regardless of the price they might have to pay at this point’.

Brittney Griner encourages people to write to Whelan

Shortly after Brittney Griner returned back to her family, she wrote a heartfelt letter thanking everyone who had supported her. Furthermore, she mentioned that the letters she had received greatly helped her out. She said that the letters helped her keep her hope alive while she was in a vulnerable situation.

The Phoenix Mercury star then asked her supporters to ‘join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families’.

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Griner was released from the prison on December 8, 2023 as part of the prisoner exchange program. She was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout who is also known as the ‘Merchant of Death’.