State Department: 'Rodman will not be traveling on behalf of U.S. government'

Record ID: 1685750

  • Title: State Department: 'Rodman will not be traveling on behalf of U.S. government'
  • Date: 22nd August 2022
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 22, 2022) (STATE TV) STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN NED PRICE ENTERING THE BRIEFING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN NED PRICE, IN AN EXCHANGE WITH A REPORTER, SAYING: REPORTER: "How does this kind of outside influence jeopardize your efforts to secure her release?" PRICE: "Well, we have seen through the media and, really, only through the media that Dennis Rodman has said he does intend to travel to Russia. He, I want to be clear--, that he would not be traveling on behalf of the U.S. government. I've just reiterated what we've said now for the past several weeks: we put forward a substantial proposal to Russia to seek the freedom of Paul Wieland and Brittney Griner. We believe that anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder those release efforts. We've also provided very clear guidance to American citizens owing to a number of threats -- not the least of which is the threat of wrongful detention -- that Americans should not travel to Russia. That has been our message to private Americans across the board." REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN NED PRICE SAYING: "This is something we continue to work on with the utmost urgency. I said last week that we had engaged in discussions with Russian counterparts on this. Those discussions are ongoing. We've made very clear, as we have publicly, that we proposed a substantial proposal as we called it, for the release of Paul Wieland and Brittney Griner. We have, in our private interactions, encouraged the Russians to respond to that proposal. But, again, it's just not something we're going to detail because we found that in order for that--, that our interests, and in this case our interest is seen the release of Paul Wieland and Brittney Griner--, that our interests are best served if these discussions take place in private." REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN NED PRICE SAYING: "I have no doubt that the Russians will investigate this. I also have no doubt that the Russians will put forward certain conclusions. All I can say from here is that Ukraine has denied any involvement and for our part, we condemn the intentional targeting of civilians anywhere." WIDE OF BRIEFING ROOM
  • Embargoed: 5th September 2022 20:52
  • Keywords: Brittney Griner Dennis Rodman Ned Price Russia
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA001996922082022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. officials on Monday (August 22) discouraged former American pro basketball player Dennis Rodman's reported plan to travel to Russia to seek the release of American basketball star Brittney Griner.
    Griner, 31, is a two-time Olympic champion and star player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WBNA). Earlier this month, she was convicted by a Russian court and given a nine-year sentence on drug charges.
    U.S. President Joe Biden has condemned the verdict, calling it "unacceptable."
    The United States has offered to exchange her for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States.
    Rodman told NBC News on Saturday that he plans to visit Russia to seek Griner's release.
    State Department spokesman Ned Price said if Rodman travels to Russia he would not be on behalf of the U.S. government and warned that his trip could "complicate" and "hinder" ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan who was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in jail for spying.
    The State Department has issued a travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to Russia.
    Rodman has sought to inject himself into international diplomacy in the past. He is one of a handful of westerners to have met North Korean head of state Kim Jong Un.
    (Production: Kia Johnson)
  • Copyright Holder: STATE DEPARTMENT TV
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