“There is in my mind utility in conveying clear, direct messages to the Russians on key priorities for us,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, during a press conference on Wednesday. “And as I mentioned, these include securing the return home of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.”
The Biden-Harris Administration announced today that it had made an offer to the Russians that the U.S. would return international arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner and Whelan both. Blinken underscored the State Department’s and Biden’s unity behind prioritizing the return of the two Americans in a package deal.
Also Wednesday, Griner’s trial continued with a hearing during which she detailed how she flew to Moscow in February despite intensifying global concern that Russia was planning to invade Ukraine because she did not want to let her teammates down. Griner explained that she had packed in a hurry, under great stress, and feared missing her flight.
Griner has been traveling to Russia during the WNBA offseason since 2016, where she plays for UMMC Yekaterinburg and is paid a much larger salary than what professional women’s basketball players make in the U.S. Competing each year in two leagues, on two continents, with USA Basketball Women’s National Team tournaments occurring every two years, takes a toll on the body, leading to nagging injuries which could heal with rest between seasons.
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Griner also testified Wednesday that she was forced to sign a document written in Russian that she did not understand, and that translation services were unhelpful. “I was told what to do, but not why or what it means,” said Griner, who said she tried to decipher the document using Google Translate. Additionally, she claims she was not read her rights upon arrest.
“The detention, the search, the arrest, they were imperfect,” said Alexander Boikov, one of her attorneys, who maintains that Griner was prescribed the vape oil for medicinal use, to manage pain from a chronic injury. “We continue to insist that, by indiscretion, in a hurry, she packed her suitcase and did not pay attention to the fact that substances allowed for use in the United States ended up in this suitcase and arrived in the Russian Federation,” Boikov said.
Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, 2014 WNBA champion with the Phoenix Mercury, eight-time All-Star, and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year; she has won four EuroLeague Women championships and seven Russian League Championships with UMMC Yekaterinburg.