Biden to finally meet with families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan


On Friday, President Biden will meet with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan concerning a proposed prisoner swap with Russia. It will be the first time he has met the families in person, CNN reports.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would meet separately with Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, and Whelan's sister, Elizabeth Whelan, to reassure them of his administration's commitment to negotiating the release of their loved ones. Jean-Pierre said the president wants them to know the issue remains "front of mind" and that "his team is working on this every day."
The Biden administration has insisted that securing the release of Griner, Whelan, and other Americans wrongfully detained abroad is a top priority. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in July that the U.S. had submitted a proposal to Russian authorities for Griner and Whelan's release. The document included a proposed swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S., per CNN.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Russian officials arrested Griner in February for transporting cannabis oil vape cartridges into the country. The U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning basketball star later plead guilty to the drug charges, and said she accidentally packed the cartridges in her bag. Griner was then fined and sentenced to nine years in prison. Her legal team is appealing the ruling.
Whelan has been detained in Russia for alleged espionage since December 2018.
When asked if there would be any updates for the families come Friday, Jean-Pierre told CNN that the administration "would love to be saying today that we have news about Brittney and Paul coming home today" but "unfortunately, that is not where the negotiations are at this time."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Ukraine: Trump's mixed messages
Feature Trump reverses a Pentagon freeze on Patriot missiles to Ukraine as Russia ramps up air attacks
-
Diddy: An abuser who escaped justice?
Feature The jury cleared Sean Combs of major charges but found him guilty of lesser offenses
-
Death from above: Drones upend rules of war in Ukraine
Feature The world's militaries are paying close attention to drone use in the Russia-Ukraine war
-
Ukraine: Trump's mixed messages
Feature Trump reverses a Pentagon freeze on Patriot missiles to Ukraine as Russia ramps up air attacks
-
Death from above: Drones upend rules of war in Ukraine
Feature The world's militaries are paying close attention to drone use in the Russia-Ukraine war
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
Is the Trump-Putin bromance over... again?
Today's Big Question The US president has admitted he's 'p*ssed off' with his opposite number
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials