President Joe Biden, 79, hosted families of WNBA star Brittney Griner and defense contractor Paul Whelan, both of whom stuck in Russian prisons, Whelan since 2018 and Griner since Feb. 17, but only recently, Aug. 4, sent to a Russian penal colony. Biden told the families he’s doing everything humanly possibly to get the U.S. citizens out of Russian jail, considers them illegally detained. But Biden had nothing new to report because the progress in negotiations for their release through a prisoner swap has stalled out. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. made his Russian counterpart 72-year-old Sergey Lavrov a substantial deal that would involve releasing Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bolt. But whatever offer was made, it hasn’t made much difference with back channels in Russia showing no interest in releasing high profile U.S. detainees in Russian custody.
So, why after so many negotiations, so much time, so may empty promises, do Griner and Whelan remain in limbo. No White House Spokesman, including National Security and Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby, and no U.S. or foreign news outlet, has explained the snag in getting Griner and Whelan out. It wasn’t than long ago, April 28, that the State Department got 30-year-old former Marine Trevor Reed out of a Russian jail, in a swap for drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko. But things are different right now with U.S.-Russian relations hitting rock bottom, almost to the point to breaking off diplomatic relations. Biden didn’t tell Griner and Whelan’s families that prisoner swaps are more difficult now that the U.S. is in a determined proxy war to topple the Russian Federation. Even former U.N. Amb and hostage negotiator Gov. Bill Richardson, , couldn’t make any headway in Moscow.
Things are different now between the U.S. and Russia, an unprecedented state of deteriorated U.S.-Russian relations, all because Biden adopted Ukraine as a puppet U.S. regime. Biden sold out U.S.-Russian relations, all to pay Ukrainian troops to fight a proxy war with the Russian Federation. So how’s that supposed to work for U.S. prisoners in Russian jails? Not one U.S. media outlet mentions anything about Biden funding a proxy war against the Russian Federation with the intent of toppling 69-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The president appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Brittney and Paul from those who love them most, and acknowledged that every minute they are being held is a minute too long,” said Kirby. Kirby doesn’t explain the state of war between the U.S. and Russia, preventing the prisoner swaps from moving forward, leaving Griner and Whelan in Russian jail.
Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison Aug. 4 for cannabis possession, something a serious drug crime in Russia. Griner had her Russian attorney tell a Moscow judge that she had a prescription for medical cannabis from Arizona to cope with chronic pain from basketball injuries. At the same time, Griner told the judge that she inadvertently through the vape cartridges in her luggage before she left to play basketball for the Russian UMMC Eukaterinburg basketball team. Biden antagonized the Kremlin repeating that Griner was unlawfully detained, when she violated Russian drug laws. Biden’s had every chance as president to remove cannabis from the Federal Drug Registry, making marijuana legal in the United States. But Biden has not done anything, other than make matters worse for Griner and Whelan. If Biden wanted both out, he would pivot on Ukraine.
As long as the U.S. pays the Ukrainians to fight a proxy war against Putin, why should the Russian leader play ball with Biden? Never before has any U.S. precedent wrecked U.S.-Russian relations, let alone fought a proxy war against the Kremlin. Through the Soviet era, to the end of Soviet Union, to the Russian Federation no U.S. president has trashed U.S. –Russian relations like Biden. Whether Biden has support from war hawks in Congress, he decided to adopt Ukraine at the expense of U.S.-Russian relations. If Biden wants to make any real progress with Griner and Whelan, he needs to end the unlimited and cash-and-lethal-arms shipped to Ukraine. While Ukraine’s 44-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky has a real problem with Putin, that doesn’t mean the U.S. can’t continue to improve diplomatic relations with Moscow, including ending the Ukraine War.
Biden and Kirby blow smoke to Griner and Whelan’s families, telling them they’re doing everything possible to get out their loved ones. If Biden really wanted to get Griner and Whelan out a Russian jail, he would pivot on the Ukraine War, telling Zelensky that the war must move to the peace table. Instead of supplying Zelensky more lethal weapons, like the HIMARS medium to long-range missile system, Biden should meet with Putin to end the proxy war against Moscow. Biden has no business fighting a U.S. proxy war against the Russian Federation, all because of a border dispute with Kiev. Zelensky must learn how to resolve conflicts with Putin and the Kremlin, not expect the U.S. and NATO to fight his battles. If there’s any chance of getting Griner and Whelan out of Russian jail, Biden must switch gears, come to his senses and end the proxy war against the Russian Federation.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
