US Looks to Swap Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for Russian Arms Dealer
The US previously had disregarded the possibility of exchange to free Victor Bout, saying he was guilty of illicit arms sales.
(Bloomberg) -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he intends to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about a “substantial” deal to free imprisoned Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, and a person familiar with the offer said it would swap them for imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Blinken’s planned phone call with Lavrov, announced in comments to reporters Wednesday, would come amid continuing sharp exchanges over the war in Ukraine. Blinken spoke with Lavrov on Feb. 15 and then canceled a planned meeting with his counterpart two days before Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24. They haven’t spoken since.
The Biden administration has declined to comment on whether it would agree to release Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the US, as part of a swap for women’s basketball star Griner and Whelan, a former US Marine.
The US previously had spurned the possibility of an exchange to free Bout, saying he was guilty of extensive illicit arms sales. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, declined to comment on a possible prisoner exchange, state news service Tass reported.
The US has already offered a swap for Bout but Moscow so far hasn’t accepted it, according to the person familiar with the proposal, who asked not to be identified discussing the negotiations. CNN reported earlier Wednesday that handing over Bout was part of the pending offer. Whelan’s lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, told Tass a deal is “theoretically” possible.
Blinken declined to comment on Bout, saying only that Biden is willing to make “tough decisions” to free imprisoned Americans. At the White House, John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters, “I’m not going to negotiate this thing in public, and I’m not going to talk about specific individuals.”
Griner, a player for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury who plays for a Russian team during the off-season, was arrested in February after Russian customs officials said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner pleaded guilty to smuggling charges this month, saying the infraction was unintentional, in a move that could pave the way for a prisoner exchange.
Although Griner has attracted global headlines, Whelan, a former US Marine who was convicted of spying in 2020, has been in Russian custody far longer -- since 2018. Biden spoke with Whelan’s sister this month, pledging to continue working for his release and that of other Americans wrongfully detained abroad.
“We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release,” Blinken said Wednesday of Griner and Whelan. “Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal.”
Blinken said he intends to use the conversation with Lavrov “to follow up personally and, I hope, move us toward a resolution.”
Relatives of both Whelan and Griner have criticized the Biden administration over the length of their family members’ detentions and Washington’s apparent inability to secure their release.
“Our family appreciates the Biden administration seeking Paul’s release using the resources it has available,” Whelan’s brother David said in an emailed statement. “We hope that the Russian government responds to the US government and accepts this or some other concession that enables Paul to come home to his family.”
On the war in Ukraine, Blinken predicted that Russia’s next move will be to conduct “sham” referendums in captured Ukrainian territory. The top US diplomat said the war has “weakened Russia profoundly” despite President Vladimir Putin’s claims of success.
(A previous version of this story corrected a misspelling of Whelan’s name in one reference)
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