{"id":23161,"date":"2022-07-28T18:04:29","date_gmt":"2022-07-28T18:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/07\/28\/marine-vets-prisoner-swap-needs-to-be-quiet-russia-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:54:14","slug":"marine-vets-prisoner-swap-needs-to-be-quiet-russia-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2022\/07\/28\/marine-vets-prisoner-swap-needs-to-be-quiet-russia-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine vet\u2019s prisoner swap needs to be quiet, Russia says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Kremlin warned Thursday that a possible prisoner swap with the United States involving American basketball star Brittney Griner<\/a> needs to be negotiated quietly without fanfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that Washington had offered Russia a deal<\/a> that would bring home Griner and another jailed American, Marine veteran Paul Whelan<\/a>. A person familiar with the matter said the U.S. government proposed trading convicted Russian arms dealer<\/a> Viktor Bout for Whelan and Griner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2020. He and his family have vigorously asserted his innocence<\/a>. The U.S. government has denounced the charges as false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about the U.S. offer, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied that prisoner swaps were typically negotiated discreetly behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know that such issues are discussed without any such release of information,\u201d Peskov told reporters during a conference call. \u201cNormally, the public learns about it when the agreements are already implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t