Former NBA player Dennis Rodman on March 10, 2019 in Century City, California.
Michael Tolberg | Getty Images
Former NBA player Dennis Rodman said Saturday he plans to visit Russia to seek the release of Britney Grenier, a WNBA star who was sentenced to nine years in prison on drug charges earlier this month.
“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News at a restaurant in the capital. “I’m trying to go this week.”
If Rodman goes to Russia, it would not be the first time he has engaged in informal diplomacy with an international leader who has soured relations with the United States.
Rodman has forged a relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un over the past decade, and has made multiple visits to the hermit kingdom. He described Russian President Vladimir Putin as “fantastic” after visiting Moscow in 2014. In 2018, he appeared on the sidelines of former President Donald Trump’s meeting with Kim in Singapore. He has been credited with helping secure the release of American Kenneth Bae from North Korea.
The United States has imposed severe sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine and is assisting Ukrainian forces. Greiner’s prison has created an additional source of tension between the two countries – and a potential avenue for diplomacy.
Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who was involved in the previous hostage negotiations, told the Associated Press this month that he was optimistic about the prisoner exchange chances that would bring Greener and another American, Paul Whelan, back. United State
Rodman does not need special permission from the United States to enter Russia – just a visa from Moscow – but the State Department has issued a travel warning strongly discouraging US citizens from visiting the country.
The State Department advises “Do not travel to Russia,” citing a range of reasons, including “the unprovoked and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, possible “harassment” against US citizens by Russian government security officials” and the possibility of “unlawful detention.”
NBC News has reached out to White House national security officials for comment on Rodman’s plans to travel to Russia to get involved in the Griner case. Rodman was in Washington for a sneaker convention.
Although his relationship with Kim is more established, Rodman expressed confidence in his understanding of the Russian president.
“I know Putin very well,” he said.