MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2021) David Whelan, the brother of US citizen and ex-marine Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence for espionage in Russia, said on Friday that the newly-imposed sanctions against Moscow complicated the already strained relationship between the two countries and thus diminished the chances of Paul's release.
On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on 32 Russian entities and individuals for their alleged interference in the 2020 US presidential election and the purported hacking of US software supply chain networks.
"The sanctions continue to make it difficult for the two nations to create the relationship and dialogue necessary to create conditions that might lead to Paul's release," David said in a statement, adding that "the winnowing of US Embassy staff in Russia will make the difficult work of consular support even harder."
President Joe Biden said that he could have gone further in sanctioning Russia but chose to be proportionate as he did not want to initiate "a cycle of escalation and conflict." Russia has repeatedly refuted all accusations of involvement in US elections and cyberattacks.
Whelan, who is also a citizen of Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom, was arrested in Russia in December 2018. A court in Moscow sentenced him to 16 years in prison for espionage last June. Whelan has denied the charges and insisted that he came to Russia for a friend's wedding. Court papers have revealed that he has frequented Russia since 2007.
