‘Megaphone diplomacy’ won’t work on Griner swap, Kremlin tells US

U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, is escorted before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia August 2, 2022. Natalia Kolesnikova/Pool via REUTERS

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that any talks on a possible prisoner exchange involving U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner needed to be discreet and that “megaphone diplomacy” would not achieve results.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Washington has made a “substantial offer” to Moscow to release American citizens held in Russia. A source said that the United States was willing to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death.”

Related posts

Walz and Vance Engage in Civil Clash at Policy-Focused Vice Presidential Debate

Russia Takes Control of Vuhledar After Two Years of Ukrainian Defiance

Iranian Missile Strike on Israel Demonstrates Increased Capability for Larger, More Complex Operations