Paul Whelan, an American detained in Russia, spoke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken by phone from a remote prison camp in Russia, sources confirmed to ABC News.
Blinken also revealed in March that the Biden administration had made a "serious proposal" to Russia for Whelan's release. But sources say that Moscow has yet to engage in any serious negotiations.
One exchange saw the U.S. free Konstantin Yaroshenko, a convicted drug smuggler, for former Marine Trevor Reed. In the second, the Biden administration traded Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms dealer, for WNBA star Brittney Griner. In April, Whelan told CNN in a phone interview that he had received assurances that he would not be left behind.
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