(NYTimes) The American man being held on espionage charges in Moscow also has British, Canadian and Irish citizenship, officials said on Friday, a status that could complicate the situation for Russia if it finds itself confronted by coordinated pressure from the West.
The man, Paul N. Whelan, could benefit from stepped-up efforts by multiple governments to secure his release, especially if the four countries coordinate their actions to secure his release or work to develop a collective punishment, like restricting visas for Russian business leaders. […]
Kirill Rogov, a Russian political analyst, mocked the Rosbalt article, noting that nothing was reported about the Russian who handed over the stick, which suggested that the whole thing had a “made-for-TV” air about it. […]
While dealing with four governments instead of one will undoubtedly complicate matters, in some ways it plays into the Kremlin’s hands for its domestic audience, suggested Nikolai Petrov, a political-science professor at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics. […]
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