President Joe Biden plans to meet at the White House on Friday with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, both of whom remain jailed in Russia, senior administration officials told The AP.
PUBLISHED 1:40 PM ET Sep. 15, 2022President Joe Biden plans to meet at the White House on Friday with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, both of whom remain jailed in Russia, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed on Thursday.
Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage-related charges that he and his family say are false 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. Since then, the administration has followed up in multiple ways to press its offer and get serious negotiations underway, one of the administration officials said Thursday.
Biden spoke by phone in July with Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and with Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth, but both families have also requested in-person meetings. On Friday, Biden plans to speak at the White House with Cherelle Griner and with the player’s agent in one meeting and with Elizabeth Whelan in the other.
Cherelle Griner, for instance, told The Associated Press in an interview in June that she was dismayed after the failure of a phone call from her wife that was supposed to have been patched through by the American Embassy in Moscow left the couple unable to connect on their fourth anniversary.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden to personally meet with Griner and Whelan families Friday | CNN PoliticsPresident Joe Biden on Friday will personally meet with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan at the White House, his press secretary said.
Read more »
President Biden to meet with Griner, Whelan families FridayPresident Joe Biden will meet Friday with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, two American citizens who remain detained in Russia.
Read more »
Biden to personally meet with Griner and Whelan families FridayPresident Joe Biden on Friday will personally meet with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan at the White House, his press secretary said.
Read more »
South African president to meet with Biden on FridaySouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa is headed to the United States, where aides say he's expected to press for more negotiations between Russia and Ukraine during talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday.
Read more »
Biden to meet Friday with Brittney Griner’s wifePresident Joe Biden on Friday will meet with Cherelle Griner, the wife of WNBA All-Star and Houston native Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for over six months, the White House announced Thursday.
Read more »
Union strike vote ups the pressure as White House scrambles on railroadsOne of the first unions to reach a tentative agreement with freight railroads is back at square one after some of its members voted to instead authorize a strike. The Biden administration is rushing to broker a deal ahead of a midnight Thursday deadline.
Read more »