London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jun 30, 2026

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 Crime and Policing Act 2026 Comes into Force with New Justice System Reforms
UK Prime Minister Hosts NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for Security Talks at Downing Street
UK Tightens Oversight of Emissions Trading Scheme Through New Ministerial Directions
UK Issues Statement at UN Security Council on Violence in the West Bank
UK Environment Agency Clears Illegal Waste Site in West Yorkshire After Court Action
UK Resident Sentenced for Fraudulently Claiming £30,000 in Covid Business Loans
UK Launches Taskforce to Help Young People Claim Dormant Child Trust Fund Savings
UK Gambling Commission Fines Betfred Operator Petfre Gibraltar £900,000 Over Social Responsibility Failures
UK Appoints Lord Collins as Global Envoy for LGBT+ Rights
UK Expands Detention Capacity to Support Removal of Foreign Criminals and Failed Asylum Seekers
UK Resident Doctors End Strike Action After Accepting Government Pay Deal
UK Tightens Sentencing for Domestic Killings with 25-Year Starting Point for Murder of Partners
UK to Build at Least Six New Royal Navy Warships Under Expanded Defence Programme
UK Government Unveils £5 Billion Defence Investment Plan Focused on Drones and Autonomous Warfare Systems
UK Economy Records 0.6% First Quarter Growth as Services and Manufacturing Drive Steady Expansion
Welsh Government Unveils New Agricultural Support Plan Focused on Sustainability and Rural Growth
UK Teacher Recruitment Shortfalls Continue in Science and STEM Subjects
Police Scotland Expands Cybercrime Investigations Amid Rising Digital Fraud
UK Universities Warn of Risk to International Student Numbers Amid Visa Changes
UK Defence Ministry Pivots Toward Greater Domestic Military Procurement
UK Launches National Rail Review After Repeated Service Disruptions
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Long-Term Funding Settlement for Public Services
UK Accelerates Approval of North Sea Offshore Wind Projects to Expand Energy Capacity
UK Retail Sales Fall as Households Cut Discretionary Spending in June
UK Expands Border Intelligence Cooperation with France and Belgium to Target Smuggling Networks
Scottish Government Faces Pressure Over Delays in Major Infrastructure and Transport Projects
UK Launches Multi-Billion-Pound Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Investment Fund
National Health Service Warns of Continued Emergency Department Strain Across England
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Hold as Wage Growth Keeps Inflation Elevated
UK Sets Emergency Fiscal Strategy as Inflation Pressures and Weak Manufacturing Growth Persist
UK Launches New Measures to Improve Safety Standards in Night-Time Venues
UK Tightens Import Rules for Low-Value Parcels to Support Domestic Retailers
UK Launches £85 Million Obesity Care Programme Targeting Early Intervention Projects
UK Commits Up to $26 Million to Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of Congo
Security Industry Authority Flags Safety Failures in Night-Time Economy Inspections
Cambridge South Railway Station Opens After £250 Million Investment
UK Moves to Close Import Duty Loophole for Small Parcels by 2028
UK Invests £85 Million in Projects to Transform Obesity Care
Berkeley Group Warns London Housebuilding Falling Far Short of Demand
UK Council Tax Arrears Rise to £9.3 Billion Amid Ongoing Household Financial Strain
Markets Watch Political Transition as Andy Burnham Emerges as Labour Leadership Frontrunner
Extreme Heat Raises Long-Term Risks for UK Inflation and Productivity, Analysts Warn
UK Health Alerts Extended as Record June Heatwave Grips England
UK Parliament Faces High-Stakes Week of Spending, Security and Industrial Legislation
UK Repeals Vagrancy Act Ending Criminalisation of Rough Sleeping in England and Wales
GB News Pundit Charged With Fraud Over Alleged Conduct as Former Labour Adviser
Reform UK Gains Parliamentary Visibility in First Senedd Opposition Appearance
Metropolitan Police Arrest Man on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After London Car Incident
Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Faces Scrutiny Over £100 Million Remuneration Package
British Chambers of Commerce Downgrades UK Growth Outlook to 0.9 Percent for 2026
×