President Joe Biden is expected to respond to WNBA star Brittney Griner as soon as Wednesday following her handwritten letter pleading for his help with her release from jail in Russia, administration officials told NBC News.
The officials said it’s not yet clear whether the response will be in writing, through a phone call or otherwise. But, one official said, “He will certainly respond soon.”
The National Security Council declined to comment and pointed to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s comments on Tuesday when asked whether Biden would respond to Griner. “I don’t have anything to share about what if he’s going to respond, or what that would look like,” said Jean-Pierre, also noting that Biden read Griner’s letter on Monday.
Biden has been under increasing pressure to demonstrate progress toward her release as she faces a trial for drug smuggling charges. She was detained in Russia in February after authorities said she was in possession of cannabis-derived vape cartridges. Biden received a letter from Griner on Monday, in which she wrote, “I’m terrified I might be here forever.” Griner’s wife, Cherelle, also has been speaking publicly in recent days, and Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on the Biden administration to help facilitate a visit from him and other religious leaders.
One senior administration official said the U.S. doesn’t expect a resolution for Griner before her trial plays out, which is likely to take weeks. At that point, the official said, the administration expects Russian President Vladimir Putin may be ready to negotiate a deal.
Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the administration has been working aggressively behind the scenes on Griner’s release, noting that national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with Griner’s wife on Saturday for the second time in a couple of weeks. Jean-Pierre declined to say whether the president would accept a prisoner swap as part of a deal for her freedom.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
