By Matthew Lee and Eric Tucker
Associated Press
The United States offered a pact to Russia to bring home basketball player Brittney Griner and another imprisoned citizen in that country, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported Wednesday.
It is the first time that the government has publicly revealed concrete action to achieve the release of Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges in February at a Moscow airport and whose trial is taking place these days.
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Blinken did not offer details about the proposed deal, which was offered to Russia a few weeks ago, and whether it would involve a prisoner swap.
The Vladimir Putin regime has not publicly responded to the offer revealed by the Joe Biden government.
The public acknowledgment of the offer by the United States reflects the growing pressure on Biden due to the Griner and Whelan situation, amid the criticism and sanctions adopted against Russia for the military invasion of Ukraine.
Blinken said he wants a response from Russia, which has for years expressed an interest in the release of Viktor Bout, an arms dealer nicknamed
The
Merchant of Death
who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012 in the United States.
He added that he has requested to speak by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.