SIAP but earlier in this thread I was told the Whelan's were cool with everything and totally understood the situation
Guess no one checked with the person of interest
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/08/politics/paul-whelan-cnn-interview-brittney-griner/index.html
Whelan said he was happy that Griner was released, but told CNN, “I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up.”
“I was arrested for a crime that never occurred,” he said in a phone call from the penal colony where he is being held in a remote part of Russia. “I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
Whelan said he was surprised that he had been left behind.
“I was led to believe that things were moving in the right direction, and that the governments were negotiating and that something would happen fairly soon,” he said.