Biden meets Griner, Whelan families at White House

Households are pushing US to safe launch of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan, held in Russia.

US President Joe Biden has met with the households of basketball star Brittney Griner and former marine Paul Whelan, amid ongoing efforts in Washington to safe two Americans’ launch from detention in Russia.

Biden sat down within the Oval Workplace on Friday with Cherelle Griner, the spouse of Griner, and Elizabeth Whelan, the ex-marine’s sister.

The conferences started shortly earlier than 5pm (21:00 GMT), the White Home mentioned.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White Home press secretary, mentioned earlier this week that Biden hoped the face-to-face talks will present the households “that they continue to be entrance of thoughts” for america administration.

“Whereas I’d like to say that the aim of this assembly is to tell the households that the Russians have accepted our provide and we’re bringing their loved-ones residence, that isn’t what we’re seeing in these negotiations right now,” Jean-Pierre instructed reporters.

Griner, a Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (WNBA) and two-time Olympic gold medallist, was sentenced to 9 years in jail final month over drug fees.

She was arrested in February, days earlier than Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and her case has moved via the Russian court docket system amid frayed relations between Moscow and Washington over the warfare.

Whelan, a Marine veteran, was sentenced to 16 years in jail in 2020 on espionage fees.

The US State Division has referred to as the detention of each US residents unjustified.

Earlier on Friday, a White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson mentioned negotiations with Moscow to safe the 2 People’ launch are ongoing.

“The president felt it was vital to proceed the dialogue with the members of the family … We now have stayed in contact with them all through; we have now saved them knowledgeable all through,” John Kirby instructed reporters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned in July that Washington made a “substantial proposal” to Moscow to free Griner and Whelan.

A number of US media retailers reported round that point that the Biden administration supplied a prisoner change involving a Russian arms vendor detained within the US.

On Friday, Kirby instructed reporters that Russia has not responded to that provide, “however that doesn’t imply that we’re not nonetheless in negotiations or we’re not nonetheless attempting”.

Moscow mentioned final month that it was “prepared” to debate a prisoner swap cope with Washington.

In the meantime, Griner’s relations, teammates and supporters have been calling on the US authorities to place its full weight behind the case to push for her launch.

Griner was accused of bringing vape canisters containing hashish oil into Russia, the place she was set to play for a basketball staff in Yekaterinburg.

Regardless of the deteriorating ties between Washington and Moscow, Russia in April freed Trevor Reed, a former US marine. In change, the US launched Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving a 20-year sentence within the US over drug fees.