War in Ukraine may stall talks to free Paul Whelan, Michigan man imprisoned in Russia

Negotiations to win the freedom of Michigan businessman Paul Whelan — imprisoned more than three years in Russia following a closed-door trial that convicted him of spying — may be stalled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The war could "potentially slow down any possible discussions regarding Paul's release," his brother David Whelan told the Free Press Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills, called on President Joe Biden to address Whelan's imprisonment during his Tuesday night State of the Union speech, saying she remains "deeply concerned" about Whelan and others impacted by Russian aggression.

"I have been working to secure his release alongside my Michigan congressional colleagues and the Whelan family. I implore President Biden to address the false imprisonment of Americans by the Kremlin," Stevens said in a statement. 

"Paul must be protected from Russian retaliation against the United States and brought home to Michigan. We must recognize how much is at stake here for members of our own community who carry the weight of loved ones endangered by Putin's cruelty and act decisively in the face of these continued, baseless assaults.”