On Thursday, news broke that WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted and sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison. That left people from around the world shocked and disgusted. Griner was convicted of possession and deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia. She is seen as being a pawn used by Russia amid their war with Ukraine.
After the news broke, Brooklyn Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the Griner situation:
What is truly happening with our Queen @brittneygriner @POTUS @VP ? Please give us an Update.
— Hélà (@KyrieIrving) August 4, 2022
Irving is clearly turning to President Biden and his administration for answers. He is not the only one. President Biden had previously already addressed the ruling stating that Griner is be unlawfully detained, calling for her release. President Biden's administration has allegedly been working behind the scenes to set up an exchange of prisoners.
It was reported earlier that the United States had previously sent an offer to Russia to free Brittney Griner, as well as fellow American Paul Whelan. It would not be the first time that something like that has happened. However, Russian authorities had expressed that they wanted the trial to play out and be taken seriously before engaging in any talks to exchange of any prisoners, including Griner.
Now that Griner's trial is complete, they are likely to engage in talks. It's possible that the United States might need to include Maria Butina in the exchange. Butina was previously convicted after pleading guilty in American court to conspire to infiltrate conservative U.S. political groups with the goal of advancing Russian interests. That's certainly not ideal, but the political pressure is mounting on President Biden to bring Griner home.
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