Former American Marine Paul Whelan, convicted in Russia of espionage and currently in prison, said that he may be abandoned by the US authorities, since Moscow and Washington have an agreement to exchange NYT journalist Evan Gershkovich. So, Whelan may remain in Russia indefinitely. He made the corresponding statement in an interview with radio station WTOP.

“I’m afraid that the administration of US President Joe Biden will work out an agreement to return Evan Gershkovich and leave me here,” Whelan said.

Note that Whelan was detained in Moscow on December 28, 2018. Russian security forces discovered that his flash drive contained information constituting a state secret.

In 2020, Whelan was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Previously reported that Putin answered a question about the possible extradition of Gershkovich, who is accused of espionage in Russia. Questions about the very possibility of extraditing Gershkovich and Whelan to the United States cannot be resolved in a positive way for them.