newYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former President Donald Trump has suggested a proposed prisoner exchange between Russia and the US to return imprisoned WNBA star Britney Griner in exchange for a Russian arms dealer “does not sound like a very good deal” .
Trump said on The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, “She knew you weren’t going there loaded with drugs and admitted it.” I think I admitted without putting in. It sure doesn’t look like a very good deal, does it? He’s definitely one of the worst in the world. because I’m going to
Trump cited reports that the United States was seeking to secure the release of Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan in exchange for a known Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout. “Death Merchant” Because of his arms sales that have caused deadly conflicts around the world.
“She went there with drugs loaded into hostile territory where they are very vigilant about drugs,” Trump added. And now we’re going to take her out – and I think she’s making a lot of money, you know. He’s a hitman, one of the world’s biggest arms dealers, he’s killed a lot of Americans, he’s killed a lot of people.”
Britney Greiner revealed translation issues during arrest in February
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier this week that Kremlin and U.S. officials were holding talks, but that “there are no concrete results yet.”
“It’s based on the premise that negotiations need to take into account the interests of both sides,” she said.
Greiner, a WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Arrested in Russia In February, after customs officers found “e-cigarettes” containing hash oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
Mark Fogel: Family of American Man Detained in Russia Pleads Biden and Blinken
Greiner, who faces a potential 10-year prison sentence, pleaded guilty earlier this month and her legal team said it was done to “take full responsibility for her actions.”
Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also suggested earlier this week that the proposed prisoner swap was not a good idea.
Greg Gutfeld: Is the ‘Merchant of Death’ deal with WNBA star Britney Greiner the most unequal deal?
“He’s a bad guy. He’s the guy who wanted to kill Americans. That poses a real danger to the United States. There are real reasons why the Russians want him back. Offering a deal like this is It’s a dangerous precedent,” Pompeo told America’s Newsroom.
“It’s not a good deal, it’s not the right path forward, and it’s likely to lead to more deals,” Pompeo added.
Russian authorities have sought the release of Bout, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence in the United States after being convicted in 2011 of conspiring to kill an American, conspiring to launch an anti-aircraft missile and supporting a terrorist organization.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He was arrested in 2008 in a sting operation at a luxury hotel in Bangkok, Thailandwhere he met with a Drug Enforcement Administration informant posing as an official of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, classified by US authorities as a drug terrorist group.
Prosecutors said Bout was ready offer a group $20 million worth of “breathtaking arsenal of weapons – including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles, machine guns, sniper rifles, 10 million rounds of ammunition and 5 tons of plastic explosives”.
Fox News’ Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.