Blinken spoke with American Paul Whelan, who is in custody

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged in a conversation with Paul Whelan, an American held in Russia for over five years, as revealed by the top US diplomat on Tuesday.

Blinken emphasized ongoing endeavors to secure Paul's return, affirming a steadfast commitment until Paul, Evan Gershkovich, and all other unjustly detained Americans are reunited with their families. The Secretary of State made these remarks during a Wilson Center event focusing on hostage diplomacy.

This marks at least the third occasion when Blinken has communicated with the former Marine via phone. The US State Department has officially labeled Paul's detention as wrongful. Previous conversations between the two occurred in August 2023 and December 2022.