US Offers Deal To Bring Home Griner, Whelan From Russia

HOUSTON, TX — The United States has extended an offer to Russia regarding the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told reporters Wednesday.

The deal was offered weeks ago, and the United States wants a response from Russia, according to Blinken, who did not offer details on the proposed deal. It is unclear if the proposal will be enough for Russia to return the Americans.

Russia has long expressed interest in the release of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence from a 2011 conviction on charges that he conspired to sell weapons to U.S.-designated foreign terrorist groups.

The proposal, which Blinken described as "substantial," is the first time the United States has revealed action toward the release of Griner and Whelan.

Griner, a Houston native, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after officials say they found vaping cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

Retired Marine Trevor Reed, who was returned to the United States in an April prisoner swap, told NBC News in an interview Tuesday that the U.S. government was not doing enough to bring Griner and Whelan home, adding to pressure from the families of Griner and Whelan and the American public.

Blinken also revealed he had requested a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which would be the first contact between the two since before Russia invaded Ukraine. If accepted, the primary purpose of the call would be to discuss the proposal. But Blinken said he would also be speaking to Lavrov about compliance with a United Nations-brokered deal to release multiple tons of Ukrainian grain from storage as well as the dangers of possible Russian attempts to annex portions of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Griner pled guilty in Russian court earlier this month, but claimed she had no criminal intent in bringing the cartridges to the country and packed them inadvertently. The plea could be an effort to expedite her court case as no action can be taken by Moscow regarding a deal until the trial is over, according to a senior Russian diplomat.

Fewer than 1 percent of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and acquittals can be overturned, unlike in U.S. courts. Griner faces 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.

The All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury testified at her trial Wednesday that during questioning while she was detained at the airport, a translator only translated a fraction of what was said and that officials told her to sign documents without fully explaining what they meant.

Griner said she used a translator app on her phone for a basic understanding of what she was told by officials. She also testified officials did not offer her an explanation of her rights or access to a lawyer when she was arrested.

Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on espionage charges, which he and his family have vehemently denied. The U.S. government also has denounced the charges as false.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.