WASHINGTON (Reuters) – White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki called on Wednesday for the swift release of Americans detained in Russia, after the two countries agreed to extend the New START arms control treaty.
A Russian court sentenced Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine, to nine years in jail in July after convicting him of endangering the lives of two police officers. Another former Marine, Paul Whelan, was convicted in Russia in June of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in jail.
Psaki told a regular news briefing that releasing the two after the United States and Russia agreed to extend New START would show “Russia is ready to move past intractable issues within the … bilateral relationship.”
(Reporting by Nandita Bose, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Chris Reese)
