The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, made a statement in a briefing with the press that the corresponding bodies in Moscow and Washington “are holding talks” on the matter, in correspondence with the instructions issued by the heads of state of both countries.

“So far they have not reached a concrete result,” emphasized the diplomat, who added that in the course of the negotiations “it is necessary to take into account the interests of the parties.”

The statements made by the spokeswoman respond to the announcement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Washington made “a substantial proposal” to Moscow to facilitate the release of US citizens Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.

Basketball player Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was detained in Moscow at the airport on February 18th after officers, tipped off by a police dog, discovered cannabis-laced oil vape cartridges in her luggage.

After the incident, a criminal case was opened against her for drug smuggling; Griner could face between five and 10 years in prison.

For his part, Paul Whelan, who in addition to being an American is also a citizen of Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom, was arrested in Russia in December 2018 on charges of espionage. A Moscow court sentenced him to 16 years.

CNN previously reported that the United States Government offered in exchange for Whelan and Griner the Russian citizen Victor Bout, a Russian businessman accused of arms trafficking, who is serving a 25-year sentence in a US prison, accused of conspiring to kill US citizens and supporting terrorism.

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