Dennis Rodman, a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player, said on Saturday that he plans to go to Russia to advocate for the release of fellow basketball star Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to a Russian prison for drug possession.
Rodman noted that he got permission to go to Russia to help Griner, saying that he was already trying to travel this week. However, a senior Biden administration official said that the basketball star is more likely to "hurt than help" the situation with Russia.
Dennis Rodman
The American official said, "It's public information that the administration had 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."
However, if Rodman does fly to Russia, it will not be the first time that he has conducted informal diplomacy with an international leader who has strained relations with the United States. The NBA star has cultivated a relationship with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un over the past decade, making multiple visits to North Korea, as per NBC News.
The basketball athlete previously called Russian President Vladimir Putin "cool" after a 2014 trip to Moscow. Four years later, he also showed up on the sidelines of former United States President Donald Trump's meeting with the North Korean leader in Singapore. He has credited himself with helping to secure the release of American Kenneth Bae from North Korea.
The imprisonment of Griner comes as the U.S. government has imposed strict sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine. The issue has created another point of tension between the two world powerhouses.
According to Fox News, a U.S. State Department spokesperson pointed to their level 4 travel advisory when it came to Americans wanting to go to Russia. He warned not to travel to the country due to the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by Moscow's military forces, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens, and others.
Brittney Griner's Imprisonment
The official also warned of arbitrary enforcement of local law, limited flights into and out of Russia, the Embassy's limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19-related restrictions, and terrorism. He also encouraged American citizens to depart Russia immediately amid the volatile situation.
Last week, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the agency still classified Griner as being "wrongfully detained." The official was previously asked about Griner's situation and the possibility of a prisoner swap with Russia.
The spokesman said, "No element of this trial changes our judgment that Brittney Griner is being wrongfully detained and should be released immediately." Price added that the government was putting forward a number of weeks ago what they considered substantial proposals to seek the WNBA star's release.
Rodman said that Russians did not know about American basketball or American football, saying that he went over there to represent America as far as his sport was concerned. He noted that while he was not a politician, he was a basketball ambassador, People reported.
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