American nationals Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan will be exchanged for prisoners, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who made the announcement in Cambodia on Friday morning.
Blinken made the comments in response to a question concerning statements made by Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, during a meeting of ASEAN’s foreign ministers discussing a prospective prisoner swap.
“As you are aware, we made a significant request that Russia work with us on. They are willing to engage through the channels we’ve created to do precisely that, according to what Foreign Minister Lavrov indicated this morning and in public, and we’ll be pursuing, “Blinken stated during an ASEAN press conference.
The announcement comes a day after WNBA player Brittney Griner was given a nine-year jail sentence for marijuana use by a Russian court.
Lavrov claimed he wasn’t anticipating to hear from Blinken but was astonished when Blinken didn’t reach out, and Blinken was asked to answer.
“A couple things about that with regards to Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner. First, as everyone has seen, Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in jail, which only serves to highlight her unfair treatment and unjust confinement “explained Blinken.
Added him: “It draws attention to our grave concerns about the Russian judicial system and the Russian government’s exploitation of illegal detentions to further its own goals by exploiting people as players in politics. For Paul Whelan, the same holds true.”
Earlier in the day, Lavrov said Russia was “ready to discuss” a trade of prisoners through diplomatic channels as a private framework was previously “agreed upon by” Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Biden.
Lavrov said Russia is “ready to discuss this topic, but within the framework of the channel that has been agreed by the presidents.”
“If the Americans decide to once again resort to public diplomacy… that is their business and I would even say that it is their problem,” Lavrov said at ASEAN.
“On the matter of persons who are convicted in Russia and in the United States… there is a specified channel that has been agreed upon by the presidents,” Lavrov added during the press conference. “No matter what anyone says publicly, this channel will remain in effect.”
Russia previously warned the U.S. not to engage in “megaphone diplomacy” as it would derail ongoing negotiations.
President Biden issued a statement denouncing Griner’s detention and called the prison sentence “unacceptable.”
“I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates,” President Biden said. “My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring [her] home safely as soon as possible.”
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