Trevor Reed ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ Prisoner Exchange for Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan Will Go Through

Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed said he has a “good feeling” about the Biden administration’s reported plan to set up a prisoner exchange with Russia in order to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.

Reed, who was detained in Russia until a prisoner swap secured his own release, joined CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Thursday to talk about the reported plan to offer convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner and Whelan. Asked if he thinks the Russian government would take the deal, Reed said he was “cautiously optimistic” about it because “I think that it is in their interests, and in the United States’ interest, to get this done.”

“So I am optimistic that they are going to agree on that,” he said. “Obviously, you know, I’m not positive, but I have a good feeling about it.”

Reed wondered if Griner and Whelan were aware of the deal, recalling that he went weeks without receiving any outside information about his situation during his own imprisonment. He expected that Griner and Whelan’s families are “probably overjoyed” by the news, and “I think that’s something that the White House should continue to do. Not just for Paul and Brittney, but for all Americans who are wrongfully detained.”

“There is over 65 Americans at least who are wrongfully detained, and I hope the administration continues to do that,” Reed said.

Keilar went on to ask Reed if he has any concerns that Russia will have an incentive to wrongfully detain Americans to use as leverage for more prisoner swaps. “Absolutely not,” said Reed, who noted that the Russians asked for a prisoner swap 3 and a half years ago when they detained Whelan, and the U.S. declined their request until now.

“If that’s the argument that this incentivizes taking hostages or taking people and wrongfully detaining them,” Reed said, “I think that the evidence shows that they’re going to do that anyway, even if they don’t receive what they’re asking for.”

Watch above, via CNN.