Russia and the United States no comment on the exchange of Greiner and Whelan for Bout
Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov announced the absence of his agreements between Russia and the United States on the exchange quotes TASS. Earlier, CNN reported that Washington offered Moscow to exchange the American Association of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for Russian Viktor Bout.
“So far, there are no agreements in this area,” Peskov says.
According to him, “during meetings, there are usually such flows of information that do not occur.” “Usually it becomes known already after the implementation of the agreements,” the spokesman said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia also negationthat an agreement on the exchange of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan for Victor Bout has been reached.
“The issue of the mutual connection of Russian and American citizens who are present on the territory of the two countries was once discussed with the presidents of Russia and the United States. They gave instructions to the commissioner for the structure of vocational training. They are carried out by the competent departments. A specific result has not yet been achieved,” the Foreign Ministry said.
On July 27, CNN, citing a source in Belyi, reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden offered the Kremlin to exchange Russian Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the president’s sentence for trading in the house, for basketball player Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, who was detained for espionage, “as part of “suspicion of the case.”
On the same day, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the US had handed over to Moscow “an existing proposal” regarding Whelan and Greiner “a few weeks ago”. Blinken noted that this week he is going to have a possible phone exchange with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Viktor Bout is a former Soviet military man who was convicted in the United States in 2011 of conspiring to kill American citizens and targets, as well as to sell missiles and support terrorism. American Paul Whelan was sentenced in Russia to 16 years in prison for alleged espionage. Basketball player, WNBA star Brittney Griner is now on trial in Russia for possession of drugs.