Russia’s Lavrov says will propose time for call with US on prisoners exchange

SMA NEWS – TASHKENT
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow would soon propose a time for a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which Blinken has said he wants to discuss an exchange of prisoners held in Russian and US jails.
Blinken said on Wednesday that Washington had made a “substantial offer” to obtain the release of US basketball star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan, both detained in Russia.
A source said that Washington was willing to exchange convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, jailed in the United States, as part of such a deal.
Blinken and Biden have not spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Families of the US detainees have been increasing pressure on President Joe Biden, most recently in the case of two-time Olympic gold medallist Griner, who was arrested on drugs charges at a Moscow airport on Feb. 17.
Lavrov told a news conference that talks on prisoner exchanges had been taking place since a summit in Geneva last year where presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden had agreed to nominate officials to look into the issue.
He said his ministry was not involved in that, but “nevertheless, I will listen to what he (Blinken) has to say.”
Speaking during a trip to Uzbekistan, Lavrov said he would talk to Blinken when he returned to his office.
“It’s clear this is unlikely to work out today. But in the coming days we will offer our American colleagues a convenient date,” he said.