Officials with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow were able to meet Thursday with WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been imprisoned for months in Russia on drug possession charges, the White House’s spokeswoman said.
“We are told she is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said aboard Air Force One on Thursday.
Griner is serving a nine-year prison sentence after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Her arrest in February came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At that time, Griner was returning to play for a Russian team during the WNBA’s offseason.
In a Twitter post, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that U.S. Embassy officials “saw firsthand her tenacity and perseverance despite her present circumstances.”
“We continue to press for the immediate release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan and fair treatment for every detained American,” Price added.
Jean-Pierre reiterated that the U.S. made a “significant offer” to Russia in order to bring home Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence for espionage. The U.S. considers both Americans wrongfully detained.
“As we have said before, the U.S. government made a significant offer to the Russians to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan,” Jean Pierre said Thursday.
“In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good-faith negotiations by the Russians, [the] U.S. government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels,” she added.
Griner admitted at her trial to having the canisters in her luggage but testified she packed them inadvertently in her haste to make her flight and had no criminal intent. Her lawyers have called the punishment excessive.
In a rare move, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said over the summer that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia to try to get both home. People familiar with the offer have said the U.S. wanted to swap Whelan and Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
There have been no outward signs of progress since then in the negotiations.
Last month, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said in an interview that he is “cautiously optimistic” that the U.S. will reach a deal to secure the release of Griner and Whelan.
“I am cautiously optimistic on the … negotiations,” Richardson told CNN last month. “I think it’s going to be a two-for-two [swap].”
When asked if their release could come by year’s end, Richardson said “yes,” but with the caveat that he dislikes forecasting such matters.
“I do think so,” Richardson said. “Now, I hate making predictions, but yes. I know they’re very despairing. We work closely with families, with the Whelan family, with the Griner family. I know they’re very emotional. And this is a very emotional time.”
“All I can say is that the Biden administration is working hard on that,” he added. “So am I. We coordinate, but not always agree on every tactical decision. But I’m not going to interfere in their process. I’m just giving you my assessment, after two visits to Russia on behalf of American hostages.”
Spectrum News’ Austin Landis contributed to this report.
