In order to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, the U.S. has made a “significant proposal” to Russia, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, providing the first public look at American efforts to bring the two home.
President Joe Biden agreed to the Bout for Whelan and Griner swap proposal, which had been discussed earlier this year. The Department of Justice, which normally opposes prisoner trades, is overruled by Biden’s backing for the exchange.
Prior to Blinken’s announcement, “a high-level official” contacted the families of Griner and Whelan, According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the US made a “significant proposal” to Moscow “weeks ago” for the release of Whelan and Griner, who are considered to have been illegally incarcerated.
Blinken claimed that Biden was “personally involved” and gave his approval to the plan at the State Department. Blinken did not explicitly state that Bout was a part of the agreement, saying he “can’t and won’t get into any of the details of what we proposed to the Russians over the course of so many weeks now.” However, he did state that the President was not only directly involved but also approves of any proposal we make, including in this particular case since Americans are being arbitrarily detained abroad.
When Russia freed former Marine Trevor Reed, who had been held there since 2019 on suspicion of assaulting two police officers and whose health was deteriorating, Mr. Biden did sanction a prisoner exchange in a different instance. Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving a 20-year prison term for cocaine smuggling, was released by the United States.
On July 7, Griner, a WNBA player who spent the off-season in Russia, entered a guilty plea to drug possession and smuggling charges, claiming that she brought the drug into the nation by accident.
Moscow has allegedly not responded to the “significant offer” that was initially made in June, according to a senior administration official who told media that “it takes two to tango.”
All discussions to free Americans held captive or unjustly detained begin with a bad actor on the opposing side. Additionally, they all begin with someone who used an American citizen as a bargaining chip. Said the official. Therefore, it’s somewhat expected—even though it’s demoralizing—when those same actors don’t always explicitly respond to our offerings or participate in productive conversations.
