US Offers Significant Proposal to Russia on Prisoner Exchange, Says State Department Representative

The United States has presented a "significant proposal" to the Russian Federation regarding prisoner exchanges, and according to Washington, "the ball is now in Russia's court." This was stated by Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, during a press briefing on Thursday.

"The United States continues to urge the Russian Federation to release unlawfully detained US citizens Brittney Griner (convicted in Russia for drug smuggling and possession) and Paul Whelan (convicted of espionage in Russia). The US administration has ... repeatedly stated clearly that a significant proposal has been put forth from Washington to facilitate their release. This proposal has been communicated through the appropriate channels, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken had the opportunity to raise this issue directly in a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Ultimately, the ball is in Russia's court," Patel added.

Regarding the potential visa restrictions against the Russian Federation, the State Department representative indicated that the US does not wish to harm "the Russian people."