Republicans have accused Joe Biden gifting Putin and putting American lives at risk with news that basketball star Brittney Griner had been released from Russian prison in a prisoner swap.
“Merchant of Death”—That’s the nickname of the prisoner Biden returned to Putin. He was convicted of conspiring to kill American law enforcement,’ said Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy in a tweet.
Recalled that President Joe Biden announced that Griner, the WNBA star imprisoned on marijuana-related drug charges in Russia, was on her way back to the US in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
As he celebrated Griner’s release, Biden said there was simply no option to bring back Whelan as well.
Meanwhile, Whelan, a corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless, remains imprisoned.
Republican Rep. Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret, asked: ‘Where is U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who has been unjustly held by Russia for far longer? Celebrities over veterans?’
‘We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who has been unjustly detained in Russia for years,’ Biden said. ‘Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s.
‘A senior administration official said Moscow viewed Whelan as a different case because of the spying charge.
‘I think we have every reason to expect that the channel will remain open to continue to negotiate for Paul Whelan’s release,’ the official said
