Russia lets U.S. speak with detained American citizen
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A United States representative was granted access to meet with the American citizen arrested in Moscow and accused of espionage.
The U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, visited Paul Whelan on Wednesday, NBC News reports, with a spokesperson saying that Huntsman "expressed his support for Mr. Whelan and offered the Embassy's assistance." Whelan was arrested on Dec. 28 amid what Russia said was "an espionage operation." However, they didn't offer any other information, and Whelan's family has said he was only in Moscow to attend a wedding, denying the espionage allegations, NPR reports.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged that "if the detention is not appropriate, we will demand his immediate return."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
