London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Dec 28, 2025

Paul Whelan: US and Russia to explore more prisoner swaps

The US and Russia say they are open to more prisoner swaps, a day after an American basketball star was exchanged for a notorious arms dealer. President Joe Biden's administration tells Paul Whelan, convicted of espionage, to "keep the faith".

Brittney Griner is back in the US following 10 months in a Russian jail.

The White House is under pressure to free ex-US Marine Paul Whelan, who has been in a Russian jail for four years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said more swaps were "possible" - a rare example of US-Russian co-operation amid Moscow's war with Ukraine.

When asked at a summit in Kyrgyzstan on Friday whether other US-Russia prisoner exchanges could take place, Mr Putin responded: "We aren't refusing to continue this work in the future."

He added that "everything is possible" and noted that "compromises" had been found to clear the way for Thursday's swap.

Griner, who was arrested in February for possessing cannabis oil at a Moscow airport, was traded for convicted weapons trafficker Viktor Bout, who was flown back to Russia after 12 years.

The American athlete was taken for evaluation to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, upon landing in the US on Friday.

It is unclear how long the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) star will remain at the facility.

The White House's John Kirby told US TV network MSNBC on Friday morning that the two-time Olympic gold medallist was in "good spirits" and "good health".

US President Joe Biden's administration has faced a backlash for not managing to bring home Whelan along with Griner.

The Michigan native was sentenced by a Russian court to 16 years in prison in 2018 on spying charges.

There will be "discussions going forward" on how to get Whelan back home, US state department spokesperson Ned Price said on Friday.

"Our message to him has been the same," he told MSNBC.

"We are coming for you. Keep the faith. We're going to bring you home just as soon as we can."

Whelan and his family have welcomed Griner's release, but the ex-Marine told CNN on Thursday by phone from the remote penal colony where he is being held that he was disappointed more had not been done to free him.

At the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden maintained efforts were continuing to bring Whelan home.

"While we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release we are not giving up," he said.

Republican lawmakers have led criticism of the White House, arguing that freeing such a high-profile prisoner as Bout should have warranted the release of two Americans.

Incoming House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul said the Biden administration "got played".

"We should be very careful, because if we don't negotiate these exchanges properly, it can end up in more detentions, false detentions of really innocent Americans in Russia," said the Texas Republican congressman.

Bout - known as the Merchant of Death - was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the US after his arrest in Thailand.

Since Griner's release, more details have emerged on US-Russia prisoner exchange negotiations.

This summer, Russia told the US it would be willing to swap Whelan for Vadim Krasikov, a former colonel from Russia's domestic spy organisation who is in German custody, according to a US official.

Moscow wanted a "spy for a spy", the official said.

The US appealed to the German government to try to include Krasikov - who was convicted of killing a Georgian citizen in Berlin in 2019 - but the country denied this request, the official said.

The US proposed several other options to the Russian government to try to secure Whelan's release, including Alexander Vinnik, a Russian citizen who is accused of money laundering, hacking and extortion, according to CNN. But those options failed, the outlet reported.

The swap is the second with Russia of Mr Biden's presidency. In April former US Marine Trevor Reed, who was convicted for attacking Russian officers during a drunken night in Moscow, was traded for convicted Russian drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
×