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Russia, US Spar Over Former Marine Detained on Espionage Charges

Charles Maynes

   MOSCOW - Russia's Foreign Ministry has accused a former U.S. Marine
   currently facing charges of espionage of faking health problems and
   lying about his poor treatment while in custody -- comments the U.S.
   Embassy in Moscow called "pulp fiction."

   The diplomatic back and forth involves Paul Whelan, who was arrested
   for spying in December 2018 after allegedly accepting classified
   materials on a computer flash drive in a central Moscow hotel.

   The case has proven an additional irritant to U.S.-Russian relations
   that already are strained by events in Syria, Ukraine, and Moscow's
   alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

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