White House says U.S. detainee Whelan told U.S. authorities he is 'feeling well'

U.S. consulate personnel spoke with American detainee Paul Whelan who has been detained in Russia since 2018 and he told them he was feeling well, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday.

Kirby declined to provide specifics about the health of Whelan, whose brother said he had phoned his parents from Russia early on Friday after a period of silence that spurred the White House to express concern.

"I won't get into ... any specifics of his health for privacy reasons, but I can tell you that he conveyed to consular officers that he was feeling well," Kirby said.