In the wake of WNBA star Brittney Griner receiving a nine-year sentence in a Russian prison, five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman intends to travel to Russia to seek her release.
Rodman told NBC News on Sunday that “I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” adding that he plans to go as early as this week.
While there is a travel advisory discouraging Americans from traveling to Russia, the permission that Rodman said to have received is unclear. According to NBC, Americans don’t need special U.S. permission to enter Russia, only a visa from Moscow.
That said, there may be efforts to discourage Rodman’s his attempts to intervene are more likely to be detrimental than helpful, according to a senior official of the Biden administration.
It’s public information that the administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts.
According to CNN, the significant offer being referred to is the proposed prisoner exchange of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in America, for Griner and Paul Whelan, another American prisoner that is considered to be wrongfully detained in Russia.
Rodman, a self-proclaimed “basketball ambassador,” is somewhat versed in this realm, as he put forth efforts to aid in the release of an American prisoner in North Korea nearly 10 years ago.
In January of 2014, Rodman penned a letter to his “dear friend for life,” Kim Jong-un, begging the Supreme Leader of North Korea to release American prisoner Kenneth Bae. Upon Bae’s release 10 months later, Rodman took credit for the role that his letter played in the process.
This time around, things are quite different, as Rodman’s pre-existing relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin is not nearly as strong as his relationship with Kim, though Rodman seemingly had a positive encounter with Putin during a 2014 visit to Moscow.
Based on previous encounters, Rodman told NBC that “I know Putin too well.”
Further complicating matters is the pre-existing offer made by the U.S. government, which is the root of its discouragement of Rodman.
While Griner was given a lengthy prison sentence, the verdict is viewed by legal experts as a formality because of the pending status of the reported exchange offer.
Rodman’s intentions are positive, but all signs indicate the complications surrounding the situation could ultimately deter his plan.
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