Trevor Reed, who was freed last month from a Russian jail in a prisoner exchange, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that it was not right that another Marine was left behind in a Moscow jail in an interview that was aired on Monday.
"I thought when I found out that it was an exchange that was happening that they had probably exchanged Paul Whelan as well," said an emotional Reed.
Whelan, also a veteran, has been held for more than three years in Russia on trumped-up espionage charges for which he received a 16-year sentence.
"I thought that — that that was wrong. That they got me out and not Paul," commented Reed, who said "sorry" twice as he tried to control his emotions.
"The United States got me out, but they left him there. I can't describe to you how painful that feeling is," said Reed, who vowed to now "do everything I could to get [Whelan] out of there."
Reed said emphatically that Whelan should be exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, whom Moscow has brought up as a possible deal for Whelan or U.S. women's basketball player Brittney Griner, who has been held in Russia since February on drug charges.
"Absolutely. Viktor Bout has already been in prison for 15 years," he said. "I don't care if it's 100 Viktor Bouts. They have to get our guys out."
Reed had been jailed in Russia since 2019 on charges he assaulted two policemen in Moscow, who were bringing him to a police station after a party where he reportedly got blackout drunk, according to the New York Post.
John Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow at the time, called it "ridiculous" that Reed was imprisoned "for an alleged crime that so obviously did not occur," labeling his trial as "theater of the absurd."
American officials also denounced Whelan's trial as unfair, the New York Post reported.
Reed told "Good Morning America" in the interview that he still finds it hard to believe he is back in the U.S. and not in the Russian jail, saying "I remember thinking like, Is this real? You know you're thinking maybe this is not happening. Maybe I'm still gonna wake up right now in solitary confinement."
His dad, Joey, joked about how he and his wife may be overwhelming their son with attention following his release, joking that Trevor may soon say, Oh my God — put my back in prison.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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