US citizen Paul Whelan detained by Russia for suspected espionage
An American has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of spying, according to Russian officials. “On December 28, staff members of the Russian Federal Security Service detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan in Moscow while on a spy mission,” the Russian Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, announced in a statement reported by multiple outlets. Russia’s main domestic security service, which succeeded the Committee for State Security or KBG, said in its statement a criminal investigation into Whelan's activities was already underway.
A State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had formally notified its American counterparts of the detention without providing specifics due to "privacy" concerns. "Russia’s obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it," the spokesperson said. If found guilty of espionage, Whelan could face between 10 and 20 years in prison, according to TASS, a state-run Russian news agency.
Whelan's arrest comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend indicated his readiness to talk with President Trump after their meeting scheduled to take place during the G-20 summit in Argentina last month was canceled. "Russian-U.S. relations are a key factor of ensuring strategic stability and international security," Putin said.
Whelan's detention also follows Maria Butina, a Russian citizen, pleading guilty in federal court this month to conspiracy to act as an illegal foreign agent in the U.S. The Treasury Department in December announced that it had blacklisted several Russian military intelligence operatives involved in election interference around the world. Special counsel Robert Mueller has additionally indicted 12 Russian actors "engaged in a sustained effort" to break into computers owned by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic National Committee, and Hillary Clinton's campaign in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/us-citizen-paul-whelan-detained-by-russia-for-suspected-espionage