Biden meeting with families of Whelan, Griner at White House
President Joe Biden is meeting with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detained in Russia, Paul Whelan
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President Joe Biden is meeting Friday with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detained in Russia, Paul Whelan.
The meetings at the White House are the first face-to-face encounter between the president and the relatives of Griner and Whelan. The meetings, held in the Oval Office, began shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday, the White House said.
Administration officials said the sessions are meant to underscore Biden's commitment to bringing home Americans held overseas and to establish a personal connection, but are not an indication that negotiations with Russia for their release have reached a breakthrough.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Friday that Russia has not responded to what administration officials have called a substantial and serious offer to secure Griner and Whelan's release.
“The president is not going to let up,” Kirby told reporters on Friday ahead of the president's meetings with the families. “He's confident that this is going to remain in the forefront of his mind and his team's mind, and they're going to continue to work as hard as they can.”
Griner has been held in Russia since February on drug-related charges. She was sentenced last month to nine years in prison after pleading guilty and has appealed the punishment. Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage-related charges that he and his family say are false. The U.S. government regards both as wrongfully detained, placing their cases with the office of its top hostage negotiator.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the unusual step of announcing two months ago that the administration had made a substantial proposal to Russia. Though he did not elaborate on the proposal, a person familiar with the matter has said the U.S. has offered to release convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The administration carried out a prisoner swap last April, with Moscow releasing Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for the U.S. releasing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Jake Sullivan, the president's national security adviser, is participating in both meetings. Biden is sitting down with Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan. In a separate session, the president is meeting with Cherelle Griner, the wife of Brittney Griner, as well as the player's agent, Lindsay Colas, according to the White House.