‘Don’t Understand’: US Marine Vet in Russian Prison ‘Greatly Disappointed’ After Britney Griner Swap

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine who was arrested for alleged spying, listens to the verdict in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 15, 2020. The Moscow City Court on Monday convicted Paul Whelan on charges of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in maximum security prison colony. Whelan has insisted on his innocence, saying he was set up. The U.S. Embassy has denounced Whelan's trial as unfair, pointing that no evidence has been provided. Sofia Sandurskaya, Moscow News Agency photo via AP

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who is currently imprisoned in Russia, said he was “greatly disappointed” after the United States reached a deal with Russia to exchange WNBA star Brittney Griner in a prisoner swap after Griner.

“She is safe, she is on a plane, she is on her way home,” President Joe Biden said at the White House on Thursday morning. “She will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along.”