Russia has acknowledged that talks with the United States over a prisoner swap likely involving American basketball star Brittney Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout are ongoing, but no agreement has been reached.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late on July 27 that Washington has made a “substantial offer” to Russia for the release of former Marine Paul Whelan and Griner, both of whom are being held in Russian jails on charges that the United States says are politically motivated.
He did not name Bout, a Russian arms trader currently serving a 25-year sentence in the United States after being convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization, but CNN has quoted a source familiar with the situation as saying Bout, 55, could be part of the deal.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on July 28 that while "a concrete result has yet to be achieved," officials in Moscow hope "the interests of both parties" will be taken into account to allow for an agreement.
"The issue of the mutual exchange of Russian and American citizens in detention on the territory of the two countries was at one time discussed by the presidents of Russia and the United States," Zakharova said, a likely reference to talks between the two leaders before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
"They gave instructions to the relevant authorized structures to carry out negotiations. These are being conducted by the competent departments. A concrete result has not yet been achieved," she added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed that statement, telling reporters on July 28 that "so far there are no agreements in this area."
Blinken said he expects to talk with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, about the issue, but gave no time frame for when such a discussion may take place.
U.S. officials and prominent athletes say Griner has been wrongly detained on drugs charges and is being used as a political pawn to secure the release of Bout or relief from sanctions imposed by Washington over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin has said the case against Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in basketball for the United States, has nothing to do with politics and that she should be tried for violating Russian laws.
The 31-year-old Griner was in court on July 27, where she testified that authorities who arrested her at a Moscow airport in February failed to provide an explanation of her rights and did not fully translate all that was said during her arrest after inspectors found cannabis oil in vape cartridges in her luggage.
She says it was medicinal cannabis for treatment of pain from injuries sustained during her basketball career. Medical cannabis remains illegal in Russia, and Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of transporting drugs.
Whelan is a former U.S. Marine and private security consultant who was detained in December 2018, accused of espionage.
He denied the charges but was sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020.
Russia has signaled repeatedly its interest in exchanging detained U.S. citizens for Russians held in U.S. prisons.