The US government announced that they had offered a prisoner exchange deal to Russia to get Brittney Griner back home. This comes after months of support and calls for her release from prominent figures. However, the deal is far from over, as several experts suggest that this may take longer than expected.

The US government made a proposal to Russia for the exchange of Griner and another US citizen in Russian custody, for Victor Bout, who was arrested in 2008. The administration made this news public after making the offer to Russia weeks ago. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he would personally follow through on this with the Russian foreign minister. However, there may be more hiccups along the way.

Griner, an 8-time WNBA All-Star, was arrested in February in Russia on the account of carrying illegal substances at the airport. She has been in custody for more than 160 days and is currently facing trial in Russia. Her verdict is anticipated to come by the end of August.

Experts suggest the release of Brittney Griner may be months away

The US, which has been under heavy pressure to get Griner back home, has tried reaching out to the Russian authorities to secure her release. But with the Ukraine war still going, talks have been slow to progress.

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But with the backing of President Joe Biden, the US offered a deal to Russia. However, experts suggest that there is more to come. Dartmouth University foreign policy fellow Danielle Gilbert said that the US would not have made this public if Russia wasn’t poised to accept it. However, Gilbert also added, “My hunch is that this is not going to be the final deal.” 

Another expert, William Pomeranz, said that Russia is in the driver’s seat and wouldn’t be in a hurry to accept the offer. Despite Russia wanting Bout back, they are in no hurry after having waited for 14 years. Pomeranz added, “They can now dictate whether this prisoner swap happens and how fast this moves.”

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Top athletes from all sports have been asking the US government to get Brittney Griner back. And now with the offer made, it will be interesting to see how long this goes on.