CNN: White House failed to explain to Whelan and Griner's families Moscow's demands for an exchange Biden met with Greiner and Willan's family on Sept. 16. According to the wife of basketball player Cheryl, the US presidential administration has not been able to explain Moscow's demands for an exchange 673w” media=”(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
< img class="aligncenter" src="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/media/img/1/87/756635317563871.jpg" alt="The White House failed to explain Russia's exchange requirements to Greiner's wife" />
The administration of US President Joe Biden was unable to explain to the relatives of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan Russia's demands for a prisoner exchange. Greiner's wife Cheryl told CNN.
“The Biden administration failed to explain what Russia wants (for a prisoner exchange)”,— Cheryl's words are quoted by the TV channel.
At the same time, the wife of the basketball player admitted that the meeting of the American leader with the relatives of the prisoners was an important confirmation of the White House's intention to return the Americans home.
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On August 13, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the US and Russia were discussing the exchange of several prisoners, including Russian Viktor Bout and Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.
About the US offer to Russia to exchange Bout for Griner and Whelan on July 27, CNN reported. Two days later, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed a possible exchange. However, the White House later called the Russian response frivolous. The Foreign Ministry, in turn, said that negotiations were underway, but there were no concrete results yet.
Paul Whelan — an American who is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on charges of espionage. The investigation considers him a career intelligence officer who, before his arrest in 2018, collected secret information in Russia and tried to recruit employees of the FSB and the Ministry of Defense. Whelan pleads not guilty.
Brittney Griner — American basketball player who played for the Yekaterinburg club “UMMC”. In February, she was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport with hash oil vape cartridges in her hand luggage. The athlete was convicted under the article on drug smuggling for nine years in prison. Greiner herself has admitted that she was smuggling drugs, but her lawyers insist that medical cannabis was prescribed to her by a doctor in the US to relieve chronic pain. On August 15, Greiner's defense appealed the verdict.
Viktor Bout was sentenced in the United States to 25 years in prison on charges of illegal arms trafficking and supporting terrorism.
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