Russia said Thursday that no deal has been reached on any prisoner exchange with the US a day after reports emerged that Washington had proposed sending back notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “so far there are no agreements in this area,” according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova indicated that President Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had discussed a swap prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Russia has shown no interest in a prisoner swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan. Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS via ZUMA Press
The Biden administration proposed sending convicted arms merchant Viktor Bout to Russia. AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong
Viktor Bout was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to kill Americans, providing aid to a terrorist organization, and other charges. Valery Melnikov/Kommersant/ZUMA PressGriner was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow on Feb. 17 after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to drug charges earlier this month, but insisted in a court appearance Wednesday that she did not intend to bring the cartridges into the country.
Her lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, has noted that any prisoner exchange between Russia and the US would only be possible “after a court verdict.” Griner’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2.
Whelan is serving a 16-year prison sentence after being arrested in Moscow on espionage charges in 2018.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not confirm whether arms dealer Viktor Bout will be part of the prisoner swap. Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin had talked about a prisoner exchange before the invasion of Ukraine. Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP
WNBA star Brittney Griner holds a photo of her friends while waiting for a hearing outside Moscow, Russia, on July 27, 2022. AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, PoolCNN initially reported Wednesday that the Biden administration had pitched trading Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death,” for Griner and Whelan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed a “substantial proposal” had been made to Russia, but declined to say whether Bout was involved in the potential deal.
Blinken told reporters that he planned to discuss a possible prisoner exchange with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov when the two next spoke, in what would be their first conversation since the invasion.
On Thursday, Peskov appeared to criticize Blinken and other US officials for publicly airing the proposal, saying: “When discussing such topics, you don’t conduct information attacks.”
Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is serving a 25-year prison sentence. Natthawat Wongrat/ZUMA Press Wire Service
Former Marine Paul Whelan with his lawyers Vladimir Zherebenkov and Olga Kralova. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
Former Marine Paul Whelan was jailed for alleged spying. Sofia Sandurskaya, Moscow News Agency photo via AP, FileBout is serving 25 years in a US prison after he was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to kill Americans, providing aid to a terrorist organization, and other charges.
With Post wires
