On Wednesday, the Biden Administration announced that it’s offered a trade deal to Russia in order to bring home “wrongfully detained” WNBA star Brittney Griner.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken included the details of the trade offer in this announcement, saying the proposed deal would bring home Griner and fellow jailed American Paul Whelan. It’s been widely reported that the U.S. government would send convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange.
The Russian Kremlin isn’t pleased about these details being out in the open.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that no agreement has been made and emphasized the Russian government’s desire to keep these dealings out of the public eye.
“We know that such issues are discussed without any such release of information,” Peskov said, per the Associated Press. “Normally, the public learns about it when the agreements are already implemented.”
The sports world took to Twitter to react to this development.
“This shit is chess. The US gov telling the public that they offered a trade means that our public pressure is working and they want to show us they are trying. We have to keep being loud in demanding BG AND Paul Whelan are returned home safely and quickly,” one fan wrote.
“Basketball player for a convicted arms dealer. That’s Russia for you,” another added.
“Then why tf are you tweeting out an article about it? Some critical thinking, I’m begging,” another said.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian officials allegedly found cannabis-oil vape cartridges in her luggage. The U.S. Olympic gold medalist has now been detained for 161 days.