December 8, 2022 – By Anders Hagstrom | Fox News
Critics say Viktor Bout was too great a prize to give to Vladimir Putin
President Biden makes “no apologies” for releasing “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday, despite critics who say it was a poor deal.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the exchange to skeptical reporters during Thursday’s briefing, saying the options were to either secure Griner’s release or no one’s. Critics have argued that Bout remains a dangerous man and was too great a prize to give to Russia.
“This was someone who had conspired to sell AK-47s that he knew would have been used to kill Americans — American drug agents. Law enforcement officials may not be happy with his release. What is the president’s message to them and to others who say essentially that this was a bad deal?” a reporter asked.
Jean-Pierre acknowledged that immediate results in prisoner exchanges can feel “unfair or arbitrary” but ultimately defended the White House decision.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Thursday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki, just outside Moscow, on Aug. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
“The president felt a moral obligation to bring Brittney home. There was an opportunity to do that, and it was either Brittney or no one at all, and we are not going to apologize for that,” Jean-Pierre said, adding officials would continue to negotiate the release of U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan.
Whelan has been in Russian custody the past four years and has 12 years of hard labor left on his espionage sentence.
Fox News’ White House correspondent Peter Doocy later pressed Jean-Pierre on why the deal appeared to be so lopsided in favor of Russia.
“In this prisoner swap, why did Russia get such a better deal?” Doocy asked.
“Here were our choices. Our choices were Brittney or no one at all — bringing home one American or no American at all,” Jean-Pierre said.
“They gave up a professional athlete. We gave up a prolific arms dealer who was convicted of trying to kill Americans, who was called the ‘Merchant of Death,'” Doocy countered.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine accused of espionage and arrested in Russia in December 2018, stands inside a defendants’ cage as he waits to hear his verdict in Moscow on June 15, 2020. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)
“The professional athlete is also an American citizen. So let’s not forget that,” Jean-Pierre responded.
“Paul Whelan is also an American citizen. We can do this all day,” Doocy said.
Jean-Pierre said Biden would do everything in his power to secure Whelan’s release, though Doocy pressed about how he could do that while refusing to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We are still working to secure Paul Whelan. At this time, we were not able to make that happen, but that does not stop us. That will not stop us in making sure that Paul returns back home safely to his family,” Jean-Pierre said, adding that negotiations take place through “other channels” than Biden himself.
Whelan’s brother, David Whelan, congratulated Griner on her release in a statement Thursday but lamented the Biden administration’s failure to release his brother.
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home. The Biden administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen,” David Whelan wrote.
“She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage. But how many more times do I need to write that?” he added. “Despite the possibility that there might be an exchange without Paul, our family is still devastated. I can’t even fathom how Paul will feel when he learns. Paul has worked so hard to survive nearly four years of this injustice.”
KGB Putin played Biden like a violin, again.
Useless idiotic gutless assholes occupy the White House.
What about that US marine held hostage in RuSSia? Is this a skin color issue?
Whatever the reason, it’s typical of the shitheads in the White House. Priority…leave a US Marine retired and bargain for a WNBA player who hates the US.
Hmm, it is Fox News. I didn’t see it immediately but I already thought there was something odd about this article.
If the U.S. would have gotten them back for free they would still find a reason to criticise the Democrats.
I think it is easy to judge as an outsider, as we don’t know how the negotiations went.
If you consider the torture and horrible conditions prisoners in Russia have to endure, they should be returned home at all cost as they might die or be traumatised forever.
I don’t care much about the Russian guy, but I do care about those still left behind in Russia.
I don’t know if the U.S. administration played it tough, but considering how hard the exchanges between Russia and Ukraine are I do not think it is easy. So if they messed up or if this should be considered the most optimal result, I don’t know.
At least I am happy for the innocent Americans to be back with their families.
Singular, not plural
Liked
I don’t know why you wouldn’t see it is Fox News (#1 in the USA), it says that in 3 places. As a foreigner, do you believe the Democrats do not do anything wrong and could never make a mistake? Please let me know if something is inaccurate and I will delete it.
We put up all kinds of stuff from many different sources. Then we debate, scrutinize, analyze, and discuss. We may not always agree on things, but that helps keep us sharp and on our toes.
A black woman who comes from a country that is hated by Russia, identifies as gay and does drugs, yet takes the decision to work in a racist, anti-gay country such as Russia, is obviously an idiot of the highest order.
Exchanging her for a dangerous international criminal is another terrible sign of weakness.
She deliberately put herself in harm’s way.
The only take-away here is that one should be Russiaphobic out of self preservation. Nothing wrong with that.
We can deduce Whelan was innocent because had been court-martialed by the marines and likely wouldn’t have been trusted to be a spy.
He’d been held longer though, so if only one person could be freed, why not the person longer in captivity?
Whelan served so Biden should say this. ATCAMS, F-16s, and Abrams to Ukraine or Whelan free and Ukraine only gets two out of three. (then give all three anyway)
Calling Biden gutless? If he was gutless he wouldn’t be dead set on supporting Ukraine and I’m almost sure it will cost him re-election. Once a Republican is elected, maybe trump, all American support will stop immediately and trump will let France and Germany end the war on Putin’s terms.
Biden is a hawk, he faces of against Russia…for the first time he as an American president said point blank “Yes we will defend Taiwan if China invades”
Biden gutless? Nope.
Don’t forget, Trump sent Javelins when Obama and Biden said “there is no military solution” and sent blankets. Of course Biden is now famous for threatening to withhold $1 billion unless the Prosecutor looking into his son’s Burisma dealings got fired…and he did. Congressional votes in support of Ukraine have all been virtually unanimous and that is likely to continue. Don’t believe the Kremlin propaganda about a divided USA in support of Ukraine.
The javelins Trump authorized were sent on condition they would stay in western Ukraine.
They did, until the war.
I think that was very early on. After the training they were allowed to take them to the front. The bottom line for me is both presidents supplied Ukraine so its not a partisan issue. Besides that, being partisan is not helpful for Ukraine and Ukrainians do not care if the help is colored Democrat or Republican they are just interested in American help.
Biden has not exactly shown any sort of valor in Ukraine. One retired General said he didn’t think Biden wants Ukraine to win and that’s why aid has been slow walked. The people in charge seem to want the war drawn out.