The Biden administration is offering a convicted Russians arm trafficker Viktor Bout, who is currently serving a 25 year US prison sentence in exchange for Brittney Griner.
All of this is a part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans that are currently being held by Russia. Resources have stated that the plan to trade Bout for Whelan and Griner received the backing from President Joe Biden after being under discussion for a few months.
Bidens decision to support this trade, overrides opposition from the department of justice, which generally doesn't like or approve prisoner trades.
"We start all negotiations to bring home Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained with a bad actor on the other side. We start all of these with somebody who has taken a human being American and treated them as a bargaining chip," the official said. "So in some ways, it's not surprising, even if it's disheartening, when those same actors don't necessarily respond directly to our offers, don't engage constructively in negotiations." - Biden Official
