As part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, the Biden administration has proposed exchanging Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year US prison sentence. This offer comes after months of internal debate.
According to sources, President Joe Biden supported the plan to trade Mr. Bout for Mr. Whelan and Ms. Griner, which had been discussed since earlier this year.
Despite the Department of Justice’s general opposition to prisoner exchanges, President Biden’s support for the swap prevails.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Wednesday said the United States has put a “substantial proposal on the table” to facilitate the release of US citizens Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, both held by Russia in what the US has termed “wrongful detention”.
Speaking at a press conference at the State Department, Mr. Blinken said President Biden was “directly involved” and signed off on the proposal.
The potential agreement is the latest development in the US effort to free Griner and Whelan, whom the US claims are being wrongfully detained by Russia as tensions rise following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
The arms dealer, Viktor Bout, dubbed the merchant of death, is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the US on charges he attempted to sell weapons to a Colombian rebel group to kill Americans.
Brittany Griner was jailed in mid-February and has been charged with bringing drugs into Russia after authorities found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage at the Moscow airport.
Paul Whelan was taken into custody in December 2018 and charged with espionage. He was convicted and sentenced to a 16-year prison sentence.
Tensions between the United States and Russia have risen further since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February. The United States has accused Russia of war crimes and has sought to bolster Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons shipments and sanctions that have crippled the Russian economy.
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