“Despite his public requests for help and support, not a word from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Silence from the administration of President Donald trump. More than a year ago, Secretary of State Pompeo announced that he would seek Paul's release if the charges were unfounded. He has not yet taken any action, ”RIA Novosti quoted his statement as saying.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a press conference with Pompeo spoke about Whelan’s defiant behavior.

In December 2018, the FSB reported that Paul Whelan was detained during an espionage campaign in Moscow.