Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan trade needs to 'get over the line,' even at cost of 'Merchant of Death': experts

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the Biden administration offering Russia a swap for two Americans.

The U.S. must try to complete the exchange for detainees Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan following a difficult and drawn-out process, even at the cost of trading a dangerous arms dealer to secure their release, according to experts. 

"It's a torturous thing," former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rubin told Fox News Digital. "So just getting it to the point where it's just about to be done – you don't mess with that too much. If you think you can get there and get the people out, you take it."

Griner, who pleaded guilty to drug charges July 7, has been held in Russia since February after Russian authorities say they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. 

The guilty plea does not bring an end to the case, but some have suggested it could speed up the process along with Griner’s exit from prison. She could make herself eligible for a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington, D.C., and last week the Biden administration offered a "substantial proposal" to "facilitate" Griner and Whelan’s release. 

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One name mentioned is Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death," who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. after being convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki, just outside Moscow, Russia, July 27, 2022. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP)

Experts have warned about a deal including Bout over the potential consequences