U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday raised the cases of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed, two U.S. citizens detained in Russia and repeated Washington's call for their release during talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.
amid soaring tensions over Ukraine, after talks between their deputies last week failed to achieve a breakthrough.
In opening remarks witnessed by reporters, Blinken told Lavrov that along Russia's military buildup near its border with Ukraine he would also discuss the two Americans' cases during the meeting.The two “were tourists in Russia, were arrested, were convicted without credible evidence,” Blinken said. "We again ask Russia to do the right thing and let them come home."
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