US Secretary of State Blinken reaches out to detained Americans in Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with American Paul Whelan, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for over four years. Blinken assured Whelan that the US government is doing everything possible to bring him home. The Biden administration continues to seek Whelan's release through diplomatic efforts, including proposing a prisoner exchange, but Russia has not responded substantively. Whelan's family is concerned about the slow progress and the possibility that he may have to serve his full 16-year prison sentence.