President Joe Biden “has no intention” of meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month, until and unless Russia engages in negotiations for the release of American WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner.
“The Russians need to take the serious offer that we put forward on the table, or make a serious counter-offer to negotiate, but in good faith,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Wednesday.
Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper, in an interview that aired Tuesday, that he would be open to talking with Putin about Griner’s release. According to a White House pool report Wednesday, Biden said progress toward a meeting about Griner’s case had not been made with Putin.
The two are slated to join other world leaders in Bali from Nov. 15-16 for the G-20 Summit.
Griner has been detained in Moscow since February —“wrongfully,” a State Department spokesperson said in May — over vape canisters containing cannabis oil that were allegedly found in her luggage.
In August, the WNBA player was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison. A court will hear her appeal on Oct. 25. Her lawyer told the New York Times on Wednesday that she fears she will serve the entirety of her sentence in Russia, despite efforts to arrange a prisoner swap.
“She has not been in as good condition as I could sometimes find her in,” said her lawyer, Alexandr Boykov, who added it has been difficult for Griner to arrange phone calls with her wife Cherelle and other members of her family. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have spoken with Cherelle Griner.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this summer the U.S. had “put a substantial proposal on the table,” an offer that reportedly would free imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for the release of Griner and Paul Whelan, an American who officials say was wrongfully detained on espionage charges.
Story courtesy of the Washington Blade.