WMBA star Brittany Griner has now become a state department and the president's nightmare

Why because a nine-year prison sentence has just been upheld and a Russian appeals court?

This is no longer about MBA or the WMBA or or her as a player. This is now a

Big problem for the state department and our president. How do we get her back?

I

Agree with many who have said the only way to get her back is a prisoner swap

Bill Richardson said this on CNN as you have with other Americans detained abroad

You are currently talking with the Russians to try and help the US government secure Brittany Griner's release

The Russians confirmed for the first time today that they are negotiating

For what that's worth do you think a prisoner swap is the only way to get this done?

Yes, I do think so because this is an issue that

This is how the Russians negotiate now that the court system is over with Brittany Griner and has been over with Paul Wieland

Let's not forget him the American ring

Then the Russians and other countries that I dealt with say okay the court process is over we're ready to negotiate

I think the president his team have been very up front and good and said

Okay, this is what we want to get in return. They didn't do it directly with the boot

But it's pretty obvious for Griner and for Wieland so now the real negotiating through the government channel starts

I mean I'm helping but I'm not the official government channel

I'm not trying to replace anybody, but I to talk to both sides

I know a lot of the Russians I do talk to the administration to the White House

I try to push the process along

But my foundation works for the families

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