Dennis Rodman is planning a trip to Russia to seek Brittney Griner’s release.

In an effort to lure Brittney Griner back to the States, Dennis Rodman has stepped in to lend a hand.

Sixty-one-year-old five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant has announced his intention to fly to Russia to petition for the release of a former NBA player who was convicted Griner, 31, was reportedly sentenced to nine years in jail on drug possession charges. Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” he said during an interview in Washington, D.C., as reported by NBC News. “I’m trying to go this week.”

“I know Putin too well,” Rodman said.

Despite U.S. sanctions and a travel advisory against Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February, Rodman just needs a Russian visa to visit the country.

Requests for response from PEOPLE and other media outlets were met with silence from the U.S. Department of State.

Over the years, Rodman has gotten friendly with several foreign presidents whose countries’ connections with the United States are tense.

The former Chicago Bulls star has gone on record as calling North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un a “very good guy,” and he even worked with Kim to gain the release of American prisoner Kenneth Bae in 2014. During his 2018 visit to Singapore, he also met with Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump.

In 2014, Rodman visited with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he described as a “nice guy,” although the purpose of their trip was to discuss sports.

“They don’t know about American basketball, American football. I went over there to represent America as far as basketball is concerned,” Rodman told Fox Business, adding, “I’m not a politician, I’m just a basketball ambassador. That’s it.

Rodman’s latest remarks follow Griner’s February detention in Russia on drug smuggling allegations related to the discovery of hash oil in her luggage. Griner “had no intention to infringe the law” and did not intend to pack the cannabis oil when she was originally sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison last month.

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