Biden Admin Folds, Offers to Exchange Convicted Russian Arms Trafficker For Brittney Griner

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today that the United States has offered to exchange a convicted Russian arms trafficker for WNBA player Brittney Griner.

Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan would also be released in the deal, should the Russian government accept it.

Blinken said that he would discuss the offer with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “in the coming days.”

“Our government has communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal and I’ll use the conversation to follow up personally and I hope, move us toward a resolution,” Blinken added.

It has been reported that the deal was offered weeks ago but today was the first public acknowledgment of it.

The Associated Press noted that Russia has for years expressed interest in the release of Viktor Bout, who has been labeled the “Merchant of Death” and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012 on charges that he schemed to illegally sell millions of dollars in weapons.

Ana Navarro of ABC’s “The View” declared in a tweet today prior to the news, “My God. There are no limits to Putin’s cruelty and evil-heart.”

“He is using Brittney Griner as a political proxy in his war against the United States,” Navarro claimed.

Navarro also suggested that “He is purposefully humiliating her, parading her around like a carnival act.”

“It is heart-breaking and infuriating. #FreeBG,” Navarro concluded.

My God. There are no limits to Putin’s cruelty and evil-heart.
He is using Brittney Griner as a political proxy in his war against the United States. He is purposefully humiliating her, parading her around like a carnival act. It is heart-breaking and infuriating.#FreeBG pic.twitter.com/CuApTrKMYc

— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) July 27, 2022

In a court appearance earlier today Griner told the court that her rights were not read to her after she was taken into custody when the airport workers found the oil vape cartridges in her luggage.