Russia confirms prisoner swap negotiations are underway for Griner, Whelan
Brittney Griner,Foreign Policy,Russia,Sports,Ukraine War,WNBA,World
From the Left
AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left
Russia confirmed for the first time on Thursday that it is negotiating with the U.S. regarding a possible prisoner swap deal that would secure the freedom of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan.
Driving the news: The news comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed last week that Russia was "ready to discuss" a potential deal.
- A Russian court found Griner guilty on drug charges last week and sentenced her to nine years in prison.
- Whelan was arrested in Moscow in 2018 for allegedly possessing classified information. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.
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