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Biden will host separate meetings on Friday with Griner's wife
and Whelan's sister, more than a month after his administration
announced it had proposed a deal for their return to Moscow.
"The Russians should accept our offer today," White House press
secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "We would love to be saying
today that we have news about Brittney and Paul coming home
today. Unfortunately, that is not where the negotiations are at
this time."
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and Women's National
Basketball Association (WNBA) star, was sentenced to nine years
in a Russian prison on drug charges on Aug. 4, a verdict that
Biden called "unacceptable."
Whelan, who holds American, British, Canadian and Irish
passports, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in jail after being
convicted of spying. He denied the charge.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in late July that
Washington had made a "substantial offer" to Moscow to secure
the return of the two Americans, and sources have confirmed
Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout could be released in an
exchange.
Russia's foreign ministry said last month it was engaged in
"quiet diplomacy" about a potential prisoner swap, but there
have been few public developments on the issue over the past
weeks.
Negotiations are taking place amid ruptured relations between
Washington and Moscow after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of
Ukraine, which has sparked a U.S.-led effort to punish Russia
with sanctions and isolate it diplomatically.
"I wouldn't characterize this process as stalled. It certainly
hasn't moved with the speed we would like," State Department
spokesperson Ned Price said, adding that Biden would tell the
families his administration attaches the "utmost priority" to
securing their family members' release.
"We will take every step that we feel would help move the
process forward," Price said when asked whether Blinken would
meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov when his Russian
counterpart visits New York for United Nations meetings this
month.
The State Department on Wednesday warned against private efforts
to try to secure Griner and Whelan's release after former New
Mexico Governor Bill Richardson traveled to Moscow, saying such
efforts could complicate official talks for their release.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington;
Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Writing by
Simon Lewis; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis)
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