Biden is 'not doing enough' to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, former Russian detainee Trevor Reed says

• Trevor Reed said the White House is "not doing enough" to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.
• The former Russian detainee said he believes the Biden administration is able "to get them out extremely fast."

Former Russian detainee Trevor Reed said the Biden administration is "not doing enough" to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan from Russian custody.

"I can't say 100% what the White House is or is not doing," Reed told NBC News Now's Hallie Jackson in an exclusive interview that aired Tuesday evening. "But, in my opinion, the White House has the ability to get them out extremely fast and they clearly have chosen not to do that."

"So no, in my opinion, they are not doing enough," the former Marine continued.

Reed was detained in Russia — like Griner and Whelan — from 2019 to April 2022. He had been sentenced to nine years in prison before he was released as a part of a prisoner swap with the US.

The 30-year-old, whose declining health seemingly spurred the White House to act, added that he's "extremely grateful that the Biden administration and that President Biden made that decision to get me out."

"I think that that was the ethical decision, and I think that they did the right thing," Reed told Jackson. "He ultimately makes that decision — that decision has to come from the top. And I'm grateful for that. And I appreciate that."

"But I think that he has the responsibility to continue doing the right thing," he added.

In response to Insider's request for comment, National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said "The President receives regular updates about the status of our negotiations to secure Brittney's release, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other US nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world."

"Months ago, he directed his national security team to pursue every avenue to bring Brittney home safely to her family, friends, and loved ones," she added. "The US government continues to work aggressively, pursuing every avenue, to make that happen."

Earlier this month, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the White House is interested in "government-to-government contact" with Russia regarding both Griner's and Whelan's release. Sources have repeatedly told Insider that their best chances of returning stateside anytime soon involves a prisoner exchange with Russia.

Several experts explained that an unorthodox two-for-one swap for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout could be the key to securing both Griner's and Whelan's freedom.

A former Marine-turned-security executive, Whelan was arrested at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 over suspicions that he was an American spy. He was subsequently convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison, with the possibility of serving time at a labor camp.

Whelan has been deemed "wrongfully detained" by the US government, as has Griner. The two-time Olympic gold medalist has been detained in Russia since February 17, when she was arrested at a Moscow airport after officials alleged to have found hashish oil and vape cartridges in her luggage.

She has since pleaded guilty to the charges against her. Her trial — which legal experts and hostage negotiators told Insider is a "show trial" with a "predetermined" outcome — has been underway since early July.

The President has written a letter to Griner and, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, has spoken to her wife on the phone. Just this week, Biden issued an executive order on "bolstering efforts to bring hostages and wrongfully detained United States nationals home," but legal experts and hostage negotiation specialists alike have suggested the move "won't help" the likes of Griner and Whelan.

Griner's defense team has maintained that the Phoenix Mercury center unintentionally brought the marijuana products with her to Russia, as she was packing quickly and forgot to remove them from her luggage. Her lawyers have also asserted that Griner uses cannabis stateside for medical rather than recreational purposes, pointing to a prescription for medical marijuana she received from an Arizona doctor as evidence.

The 31-year-old's legal representation estimated that she'll be sentenced sometime in August. She faces up to 10 years in Russian prison.