UPDATE: U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman visited Whelan Wednesday.
"Ambassador Huntsman expressed his support for Mr. Whelan and offered the Embassy’s assistance," the spokesperson said, adding that Huntsman also spoke with Whelan's family.
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Whelan's twin brother, Dave, said he was “100 percent confident” that his brother is not a spy.
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When asked if the administration had contacted Whelan’s family, David said he doesn’t believe “anybody in my family has spoken to either [Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] or President Trump."
U.S. Ambassador Huntsman visited Paul Whelan, American detained in Russia (NBC News)
Russian authorities arrested Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen in Moscow for a wedding, on Friday and have yet to say what exactly he is accused of doing.
The suspicious circumstances surrounding his detention suggest to experts the move is a "tit for tat" plot in an effort to force Maria Butina's release.
CNN:
US consular officials were allowed to see Paul Whelan, 48, of Michigan, on Wednesday afternoon, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told CNN.
Whelan was arrested Friday in Moscow on suspicion of carrying out an act of espionage, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has said. No further details about the circumstances of his arrest or allegations have been released.
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Earlier Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his government has made clear to Russia that the US expects to learn more about the charges.
WSJ:
“With respect to Mr. Whelan who is being held, we are hopeful within the next hours we’ll get consular access to see him and get a chance to learn more,” Mr. Pompeo said while on a trip to Brazil. “We’ve made clear to the Russians our expectation that we will learn more about the charges, come to understand what it is he’s been accused of and if the detention is not appropriate we will demand his immediate return.”
CNN:
Whelan's arrest came 15 days after alleged Russian spy Maria Butina pleaded guilty in US federal court to trying to infiltrate political circles and influence US relations with Russia.
WSJ:
David Whelan, the twin brother of Paul Whelan, 48 years old, said his brother was a former Marine and former law-enforcement officer and that the family learned of his detention from media reports.
Service records released by the Marines show that Mr. Whelan was part of the Marine Corps Reserve from 1994-2008, rising to the rank of staff sergeant, before he was reduced to the rank of private and given a bad-conduct discharge. The Marines said his court-martial involved several charges related to larceny, but provided no further details.
Mr. Whelan’s military specialty was administrative clerk. He deployed twice to Iraq but saw no combat, according to the records released Wednesday.
David Whelan didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment regarding his brother’s military record.
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He traveled to Russia often and had several Russian friends, said Vasia Sokolova, 25, who in an exchange on social media said she has known Mr. Whelan since she was 12 years old. Ms. Sokolova said Mr. Whelan was a family friend whom she got to know through her elder brother, who worked in a tourist agency and once helped Mr. Whelan.
On New Year’s Day Ms. Sokolova and her brother were expecting Mr. Whelan to be in St. Petersburg, she said, but he didn’t show up.
“I have no idea what could have happened,” Ms. Sokolova said.
Another of Mr. Whelan’s social media friends dismissed the allegations that he could be a spy, saying the American was fascinated with Russia and its culture.
“I don’t have any reasons to believe it’s anything but bunk,” said the friend who requested his name not be used.
Russia says US consular officials visited detained US citizen Paul Whelan (CNN)
U.S. Pushes for Answers on Russia’s Detention of American for Alleged Spying (WSJ) *Note: WSJ articles appear behind a paywall
Russia’s Arrest of Paul Whelan Is Payback for Maria Butina, CIA Veterans Say (Daily Beast)