After exchanging WNBA star Brittney Griner for ‘Merchant of Death’ arms dealer Viktor Bout, a move widely viewed as a success for the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin now says he is open to further prisoner swaps with the U.S.
Putin stated, “We are not refusing to continue this effort in the future” after Bout returned to Moscow to a hero’s welcome and Griner landed in San Antonio, Texas, early on Friday morning.
Putin stated that ‘everything is on the table’ and referenced earlier ‘compromises,’ as the White House is criticized for keeping Marine veteran Paul Whelan languishing in a Russian prison while the Olympic medalist was returned home.
Friday, a senior White House official told CNN that they anticipate Moscow will continue to negotiate over Whelan because ‘they want things in this world.
“We have demonstrated a willingness to discuss what is genuinely available to us, and the only reaction has been a request for something that is not,” the official continued.
In the swap with Bout, who was serving a 25-year sentence for attempting to sell arms to Colombian rebels, the Biden administration has insisted that Putin gave them the option of bringing Griner home or nothing at all. Bout was serving a 25-year sentence for attempting to sell arms to Colombian rebels.
Bout was also implicated in attempting to sell weaponry to the Taliban and Al Qaeda and was a former Soviet intelligence officer.
According to reports, the Pentagon has expressed fear that he could return to arms selling now that he is back in his own country, and Republicans have stated that the pact means Americans could be jailed abroad so that foes can engage in prisoner swaps.
This is the product of talks and compromise-seeking. In this instance, concessions were reached, and we are not opposed to continuing this cooperation in the future,’ Putin said reporters during a Friday morning press conference in Kyrgyzstan.
After exchanging WNBA star Brittney Griner for ‘Mercenary of Death’ arms dealer Viktor Bout, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled he is open to additional prisoner swaps with the U.S.
Putin appears to have taken a rare respite from speeches condemning Ukraine, the U.S., and NATO, and justifying Russia’s incursion, while openly displaying Russia’s nuclear might in an extraordinarily dangerous manner, as warned by the White House.
Putin’s comments about a possible opening to more compromises came after the White House was criticized for the terms of the prisoner swap, which brought home Griner, who had spent months in prison and had been transferred to a penal colony, and Bout, who was convicted of attempting to sell weapons that could have been used to kill Americans.
It follows repeated pledges by the Biden administration to recruit previous U.S. presidents. Homecoming for Marine veteran Paul Whelan. Members of the Whelan family bemoaned his detention in Russia for the past four years. President Biden repeatedly referenced Whelan during his unexpected announcement of the accord on Thursday.
Some Republicans criticized the terms of the sale as unbalanced in favor of Russia, prompting the White House to react Thursday to a query about whether Russia received a ‘better deal.’ Others voiced concerns that it could imperil Americans by encouraging effective hostage abduction.
The White House underlined the importance of bringing Americans home as soon as possible, and there was instant speculation that the discussions could pave the way for additional action. However, authorities provided no indication that it could pave the way for broader discussions on the conflict itself.
David Whelan, brother of Whelan, expressed uncertainty about the future while welcoming Griner’s homecoming.
CNN quoted him as saying, “It’s become evident that the U.S. has no concessions that the Russian government wants for Paul, so I’m not sure what the future holds.”
Whelan is a Michigan official in charge of corporate security who has been detained since 2018. The White House claims his detention is unwarranted, and he and his family have repeatedly refuted the spying allegations.
Griner landed in the US state of Texas on Friday morning (pictured), CNN and Fox News footage showed, after she was exchanged for a known arms dealer and released from a Russian prison.
Friday shows a cheerful Griner arriving at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.
Viktor Bout, suspected Russian arms smuggler, is carried by armed Thai police commandos to the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand on October 5, 2010. Russia released WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday as part of a high-stakes prisoner swap in which the United States released convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
During the exchange at Abu Dhabi airport this morning, footage shows Bout alighting from one plane and passing Griner.
Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison colony after the Biden administration negotiated a prisoner swap with the Kremlin.
Cherelle Griner hailed the Biden administration for bringing an end to what she termed “the saddest moments of my life.”
According to the White House, the Russians showed little interest in include Whelan in the trade, so they accepted the best possible bargain.
U.S.-Russian relations are at an all-time low, and the U.S. continues to spend billions arming Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s savage invasion, when the talks over the jailed Americans began.
Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was questioned about the conditions of the agreement.
In recent weeks, it has been evident that while the Russians are eager to make a bargain to obtain Brittney’s release, they continue to regard Paul Whelan differently, given the nature of the completely legal charges they have brought against him, Jean-Pierre stated.
Unfortunately, the alternative of bringing Brittany home was no one.
Putin has provided plenty material to Kremlinologists in recent days.
This week, he made reassuring remarks regarding Russia’s nuclear capability.
Putin stated, “We have not lost our minds” and that Russia would not be the first to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Fears that Russia would respond to military humiliations with tactical nuclear weapons prompted this.
Then, on Thursday night, Putin was captured on film drinking champagne while oddly claiming Ukraine had attacked ‘first’ and pointing to the attack on a vital Crimean bridge – which occurred only months after Russia seized the country.
Putin stated during an awards event, “There is a lot of buzz right now about our strikes against the energy infrastructure of the adjacent countries.”
“Yes, we’re doing it, but who began it?” Who attacked the bridge in Crimea? “He inquired.
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