U.S. and Russian officials will meet soon to discuss several issues. One of which involves imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner.
According to Reuters, the director of the U.S. CIA will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s spy chief on Monday. The meeting will be regarding deterring nuclear weapons usage and prisoners like Griner being held unjustly in custody.
Reuters reporters Guy Faulconbridge and Humeyra Pamuk wrote Monday, “U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns was expected to caution President Vladimir Putin’s spy chief at talks on Monday about the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and to raise the issue of U.S. prisoners in Russia.”
Later in the article, they wrote that President Joe Biden “said this month he hoped Putin would be willing to discuss seriously a swap to secure the release of U.S. basketball Star Brittney Griner, who has been sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony on drugs charges.” It later detailed that prisoner Viktor Bout is still who Biden wants to discuss swapping for Griner.
It’s unclear how much this meeting will have an effect on Griner’s status. She was recently sentenced to nine years in prison in a penal colony. She will be in a “general regime prison” which is an extremely harsh punishment. Her experience has already been terrible given the conditions of Russian prisons.
[Reuters]
