U.S. athlete’s guilty plea will not impact release talks with Russia, White House says

WASHINGTON – A guilty plea by U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, who was detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport with vape cartridges containing hashish oil, will not impact negotiations to bring her home, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday.

The move also will not impact talks with Moscow to secure the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who is imprisoned in Russia and accused of spying, Jean-Pierre added.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chris Reese)