Washington-Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a meeting with Russia on Wednesday that the United States would secure the release of basketball star Brittney Griner and another detained American, Paul Whelan. I made a substantive proposal a week ago. “
Those who were briefed on the negotiations said the United States had offered to exchange Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was imprisoned in June, for Mr. Greener and Mr. Welan. He was an American — in favor of the offer.
Brinken told reporters at a press conference in Washington that the United States and Russia “repeatedly kept in direct contact with the proposal,” and will soon raise it directly with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov. Said there is.
Blinken said he did not want to endanger delicate negotiations with Moscow and did not provide additional details on the proposal or explain Russia’s response. Brinken was last with Russia’s chief diplomat, Lavrov, at a meeting in Geneva in January a few weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 led to the almost complete closure of US diplomacy with Russia. I talked to.
Blinken refused confirmation CNN report Biden agreed to replace Mr. Bout, who had been demanding the release for years by the Kremlin, with Mr. Greener and Mr. Welan. Known as the “merchant of death,” Bout has been in prison for 25 years for conspiring to sell weapons to those who said he was planning to kill Americans.
In response to a question about Mr. Bout’s trading potential last week, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency William J. Burns spoke at the Aspen Security Forum, calling Mr. Bout a “creep” and didn’t sound enthusiastic. ..
Bout, 55, is a former Soviet military officer who made a fortune in global arms trafficking before being involved in a federal sting operation. Russian authorities have claimed his proceedings for years, and in recent weeks the Russian press has linked his proceedings directly to Mr. Greener’s proceedings.
Russia has detained Mr. Greener, 31, since he was arrested at an airport in Moscow in mid-February on charges of hashish oil in his luggage. She pleaded guilty to her on drug charges and said in a court outside Moscow on Wednesday that she accidentally packed a small amount of cannabis-related substance that she used under doctor’s instructions to manage her pain. Told. Russia has a notoriously strict drug law.
Welan, 52, a former Marine and security executive, was detained at a hotel in Moscow in 2019 and charged with espionage. The State Department has classified both Mr. Welan and Mr. Greener as “illegal detained” and referred their case to a special hostage bureau.
In a statement, Welan’s brother David said the family was just learning about the US proposal.
“Our family is grateful that the Biden administration is using the resources available to seek Paul’s release,” he said. “I hope the Russian government will respond to the US government and accept this or other concession that will allow Paul to return to his family.”
Mr Greener’s Russian defense team said he knew from the news about the US offer and did not participate in the debate. From a legal point of view, prisoner exchange is only possible after the court has reached a verdict, the lawyer said.
“In any case, we’re really happy if Britney can get home, and I hope it’s coming soon,” said one of her lawyers, Maria Bragovolina. rice field.
Brinken refused to discuss the details, while the U.S. government worked “to strengthen world norms against these arbitrary detentions, against truly horrific practices,” around the world. He said he was trying to balance his obligation to release illegally detained prisoners.
Critics say the exchange of prisoners encourages foreign governments and terrorist groups to arrest or abduct Americans. However, the U.S. made a deal with Moscow in April and sent back a Russian drug smuggler convicted in exchange for Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested in Moscow in 2019 for attacking police officers. I did. Biden administration officials have suggested that trade is an exceptional case urgently made by Mr. Reed’s deteriorating health.
