Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan Prisoner Swap Negotiations are Underway!
A new report from the Washington Post has revealed that Russia has already confirmed that the negotiations for a prisoner exchange that involves WNBA star Brittney Griner is underway.
The United States previously confirmed they proposed a swap of Griner plus Paul Whelan for infamous arms dealer, Viktor Bout.
Russian officials confirmed they are ready to begin negotiations but this is yet to be confirmed. Citing Russian state media, the Post confirmed the news through a Foreign Ministry spokesman. This is what Ivan Nechayev told the media, according to the Washington Post: “Instructions were given to authorized structures to carry out negotiations. They are being conducted by competent authorities.”
There was also a report that another Russian prisoner who was serving time in Berlin could be included in the negotiation.
However, this information was never proven given that it came from an unofficial channel. Russia’s confirmation of the deal proposed by Secretary Blinken is the initial Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for Viktor Bout.
