The US has offered Russia a deal aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.
Ms Griner was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in FebruaryIt marks the first time the US government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Ms Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February and testified at her trial on Wednesday.
But the public acknowledgement of the offer at a time when the US has otherwise shunned Russia reflects the mounting pressure on the administration over Ms Griner and Mr Whelan and its determination to get them home.Russia has for years expressed interest in the release of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer once labelled the "Merchant of Death".
Former US marine Paul Wheeler was sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison on espionage charges in 2020. At her trial, Ms Griner said she did not know how the cannabis oil ended up in her bag but said she had a doctor's recommendation for it and had packed in haste.
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