Jailed American in Russia says he feels abandoned by United States - BBC

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was detained and accused of espionage, stands inside a defendants' cage during his verdict hearing in Moscow, Russia June 15, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/FILE PHOTO

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan who was convicted of espionage in Russia said he felt abandoned by the United States which has not come up with proposals acceptable enough for the Russians to agree to a prisoner swap, the BBC reported.

Whelan, who denies spying on Russia, was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in a room in Moscow's Metropol Hotel on Dec. 28, 2018. Investigators said he was caught red-handed with a flash drive containing sensitive information.