Russia is ready to discuss prisoner exchange with the United States within the framework of the channel agreed by the presidents – Lavrov

The Russian side is ready to discuss with the United States the issue of the exchange of convicts within the framework of the chain, which was agreed by the leaders of the countries Vladimir Poutine and Joe Biden, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Thursday American basketball player Britney Griner was sentenced by the Khimki City Court to 9 years in a penal colony and a fine of 1 million rubles in a drug trafficking case. The athlete was arrested in February on suspicion of trying to illegally import hash oil through Sheremetyevo airport.

– As to specific individuals who have been convicted in Russia and the United States. I had the opportunity to talk about it. There is a special channel, which is agreed by the presidents. No matter what anyone says publicly, this channel remains relevant. If the Americans decide to resort to public diplomacy and announce loud and clear that they are going to take such and such a measure, that is their business, I would even say their problem. Because agreements on peaceful professional work, and not only on this, but also on other subjects, Americans often do not stand up. We are ready to discuss this topic, but within the framework that has been agreed upon by Presidents Putin and Biden,” Lavrov said during a briefing.

Earlier, US media reported, citing a Biden administration source, that he supported plans to swap Russian Viktor Bout, who is serving a prison sentence in the US, for US citizens Greiner and Paul Whelan, who was sentenced in Russia to 16 years in prison for espionage.

Greiner, 31, has been playing for UMMC Yekaterinburg since 2015, winning the Olympics twice as part of Team USA (2016, 2020).