Russia Rejects US Proposal to Free Jailed Americans and Journalist

The Biden administration proposed a prisoner exchange with Russia, offering to trade a number of Russian nationals detained on espionage charges abroad in exchange for the release of Americans Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich. The proposal, which excluded a former Russian spy serving a life sentence for murder in Germany, was rejected by Moscow. Efforts to secure the release of Whelan and Gershkovich, who have been designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department, have not yielded results. The US has been discussing the issue with allies and partners, and the family of Paul Whelan expressed disappointment at the slow progress.