Brittney Griner Was Surprised Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan Was Left Out Of Russian Prisoner Swap
Two things can be true: American WNBA player Brittney Griner deserved to exit Russian captivity, and the U.S. completely flubbed its trade with an international adversary in the deal that brought Griner home.
On its own, the 2023 U.S.-Russia prisoner swap involving Griner was an all-time stinker in the history of deals.
After 10 months of having Griner stuck in Russia for bringing drugs into the country, the Biden administration folded and gave up a prominent Russian arms dealer for Griner. Russia dangled Griner as its pawn and Biden bit the hook.
The swap was a true fleecing considering that the U.S. could've brought back imprisoned U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018.
READ: Viktor Bout Reveals The Five Words He Said To Brittney Griner During Prisoner Exchange
In an exclusive interview with ABC, Brittney Griner touched on the questionable U.S. trade and acknowledged her shock when she discovered that Whelan had been left behind.
Paul Whelan, a former US Marine accused of spying and arrested in Russia stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow on August 23, 2019. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - WNBA superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. - Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying in her luggage vape cartridges with cannabis oil. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
Brittney Griner wins the 2023 AP Comeback Player of the Year award. (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Biden administration authorized the 1-for-1 prisoner swap where the U.S. received Griner back after 10 months of captivity for bringing a THC pen to a Russian airport. She was charged in Russia and received a nine-year prison sentence for the drug violation.
Meanwhile, Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed "The Merchant of Death," returned to Russia as part of the deal. Bout served 10 years in a U.S. federal prison as part of a 25-year sentence.
BANGKOK, THAILAND - Viktor Bout sits inside a detention cell at Bangkok Supreme Court on July 28, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Chumsak Kanoknan/ Getty Images)
And still, U.S. Marine Paul Whelan remained watching the deal on the sidelines, held in Russian captivity.
Griner was surprised that Whelan didn't make the cut. She called the conditions in her Russian detainment ‘sub-human.’ Comparing the statuses of the detainees, it's also safe to bet Whelan faced and continues to face harsher conditions.
The Marine remains in Russia.
"[Griner] said she got on the plane thinking that Paul Whelan was going to be on that plane, too," ABC's Robin Roberts shared from the interview.
Griner had been in the country to play for a Russian pro team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Paul Whelan was arrested in Russia in 2018. He was accused of espionage and ultimately convicted in 2020, facing a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison.
Biden's crawling response to Brittney Griner's own retrieval prompted ire from the player's family, including her partner, Cherelle Griner.
READ: Brittney Griner's Partner Calls Lack Of Response From President Biden 'Disheartening'
In a ‘Good Morning America’ spot in May 2023, Cherelle Griner sat down for an interview and pleaded with the administration to help bring Griner back home. After 10 months, Biden finally got the job done.
Biden was a day late and a dollar short.
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