The fates of both Americans have been complicated by the deteriorating diplomatic relationship between the United States and Russia over President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tag: Whelan, Paul N
Brittney Griner’s Sentence Renews Pressure on President Biden
The basketball star’s supporters are pressing for action. But critics of any possible deal are already fuming.
Russian Court Sentences Griner to 9 Years in a Penal Colony
Amid the hostility over the war in Ukraine, a court imposed nearly the maximum possible sentence on the American basketball star Brittney Griner, intensifying calls to win her release.
Blinken and Lavrov Discuss Griner in Their First Call of the War
Ukraine said it was ready for Black Sea grain shipments to resume, while the top Russian and American diplomats talked about a prisoner swap involving the basketball star Brittney Griner.
Lavrov To Propose a Time to Discuss Possible Prisoner Swap for Brittney Griner
Sergey Lavrov said he would listen to what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had to say about a proposal for the release of Brittney Griner and another American.
Why the U.S. Offered to Swap Griner for Bout, a Russian Arms Dealer
The negotiations raise questions about what, if any, standards should apply when the United States agrees to trade prisoners.
Your Thursday Briefing
Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout?
How Russia Uses Show Trials to Punish Putin’s Enemies
Moscow may label the Azov fighters who defended the Mariupol steel plant as terrorists — raising the prospect of a high-profile trial. The Kremlin has a long tradition of using the courts for political goals.
Russia Sentences Trevor Reed, Former U.S. Marine, to 9 Years
Trevor R. Reed was charged with assaulting and endangering the lives of two police officers in a case that some have likened to that of another former U.S. Marine in Russia.