WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
In a sharp reversal of previous policy, Blinken also said he expects to speak with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine to discuss the deal and other matters.
Blinken’s comments marked the first time the U.S. government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February and testified Wednesday at her trial. He did not offer details on the proposed deal outlined to the Russians, though a person familiar with the matter said the U.S. government has offered to trade convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Whelan and Griner.
The person insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Though it is unclear if the proposal will be enough for Russia to release the Americans, the public acknowledgment of the offer at a time when the U.S. has otherwise shunned Russia reflects the mounting pressure on the administration over Griner and Whelan and its determination to get them home.
It also signals a growing acceptance by the White House of prisoner swaps as resolutions for cases of Americans jailed overseas, particularly after a trade in April that secured the release of Marine veteran Trevor Reed and yielded a much-needed publicity win for the administration. more here
Since Biden and company suck at everything, I’m sure when all is said and done we will be parting with boatloads of cash, a promise to be Putin’s butt-boy in European negotiations for more Russian natural gas, and the loss of any remaining dignity Biden has on the world stage. All for a dope-smoking, tattoo-riddled, American-hating wokester whose only ability is putting a ball through a hoop and being obnoxious.
Let’s exchange Pedo Peter instead. We’ll throw in a box of Depends on the deal.
Only if they agree also to take the biden and the camel ho in that exchange and the proviso griner spends twenty years in a max security prison
This obviously obnoxious American hater needs several more years in the Gulag Archipelago before she’s going to be truly proficient in the Russian language, or appreciate the country she hates. We can do without her till then. Her ghost written autobiography can await her return until 2030.
Bad deal. Griner is worthless as an American. Paul Whelan is Canadian not American. Viktor Bout supplied AK’s and ammo to countless groups in many countries all over the world.
Cowered to the black Mafia led by LeMoron James. FLMJ…
They can keep the tranny that plays with balls.
It will be happier there. I don’t see why anyone would want it back.
So basically we’re exchanging on American hating man for another then?
how many American soldiers and others died at the hands of this illegal arms dealer? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of Thousands?
Sure exchange a carpet munching America hating basketball player drug addict for him…that makes total sense……
“Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) is a Canadian with American, British, and Irish citizenship. He was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018, and accused of spying.”
He doesn’t sound like CIA, or MI6, at all. Not a smidgen.
How many much more worthy American citizens in Afghanistan still there?
How long did a US marine rot in a mexican prison while poser president obama did nothing?
The left sure relies on the short memories of sheeple.
keep that crazy looking black homosexual in Russia. She fits right in with that crowd. Remember “it” doesn’t like the USA.it doesn’t deserve one iota of attention in this country.
Win-win for Russia. Lose-lose for America.
It gets more obvious everyday
Goldenfoxx, only one box of Depends for Biden to go with him, I think you’re being generous. Do the Russians even sell Depends? And if they did, are they called Dependski’s.
@Geoff: Well, how about a pkg of Huggies/Pampers? I got to thinking (dangerous), let’s exchange one black for one black. Finally, a way to get ride of the Magic Knee-grow Obama.
rid
Yet another example of the progressive movement being totally invested in increasing innocent human suffering, misery and death. Everything thing they do is 100% consistent in that regard
Also in deal give Traitor Zelinskyy or nyet to you.
Is Brittney Griner locked up in the mens’ prison in Russia? Because that thing is NOT female. He/she/it is 6’9″ tall and has a man’s voice. There are pictures of her playing basketball without a shirt and he/she/it has no breasts. That thing is a man!
Griner is lucky she didn’t try to smuggle drugs into Malaysia or Taiwan or Indonesia. The penalty there is death.
An 20 year old Australian girl attempted to smuggle drugs into Bali several years ago. The judge was lenient and sentenced her to 20 years in prison. Her life was ruined but at least she didn’t get the necktie treatment.
This is proof biden is retarded. An international arms dealer for a homosexual drug addict? This is beyond stupid. In fact it’s advanced stupid…
Quit yer bitching…we’re getting 1 3/5 for 1!