Just two days after telling a news source that he was heading abroad to "assist that girl," former NBA star Dennis Rodman said the trip would not take place.
Rodman changed his mind immediately after the US stated Rodman's travel would not be on behalf of the United States, according to the State Department. Rodman made the comments to the media on Saturday while in a restaurant in Washington, DC, regarding his intended trip to demand the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner.
Dennis Rodman Reverses Course, Will Not Go to Russia
The US authorities warned Rodman not to participate in the Griner case on Monday. Brittney Griner, who has been arrested in Russia since February 17, was found guilty of drugs charges earlier this month and sentenced to nine years in prison after vape cartridges containing hashish oil - a prohibited substance in Russia - were discovered in her luggage at the airport.
During a news conference, State Department spokeswoman Ned Price stated that if Rodman traveled to Russia, "he would not be traveling on behalf of the United States government." Price went on to say that the State Department has given very explicit recommendations to the American people, not the least of which is the possibility of unlawful imprisonment, that Americans should not travel to Russia. That has been our message to private Americans everywhere, Yahoo reported.
Dennis Rodman does not need authorization from the United States to travel to Russia, but he does need a visa from Moscow. Price's warning came after a senior Biden administration official advised Dennis Rodman not to travel to Russia in a statement released to ABC News on Sunday, citing the US travel restriction.
Rodman's Ties with Russia, North Korea
Griner's case was designated as wrongfully detained in Russia by the United States in May, and the Biden administration has been seeking to negotiate her release, as well as the release of US citizen Paul Whelan, who has been jailed in Russia since 2019.
On July 29, Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed reporters that he had a frank and straight talk with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov regarding the United States' proposal to swap convicted weapons dealer Viktor Bout for Griner and Whelan. Russian authorities acknowledged the conversations that took place earlier this month, according to ABC News.
Dennis Rodman, the controversial three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls and Hall of Famer, took his first venture into making peace with US rivals by connecting with North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un over basketball. Rodman previously attempted to influence US foreign policy as an informal diplomat amid tense ties with North Korea.
Rodman visited Singapore in June 2018 ahead of then-President Donald Trump's historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who is a big Chicago Bulls fan. Even though Rodman did not meet with the dictator, whom he calls a friend, he was one of a few Westerners who had previously visited him in Pyongyang, as per USA Today.
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