Ask For Serious Talks With Putin About Griner Basketball Prisoners, President Biden: My Intention To Bring It Home

Tersebutney Griner. (Wikimedia Commons/DIGNYGYGRI)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would be willing to speak more seriously with Washington about exchanges of potential prisoners to secure the release of basketball star Britney Griner.

"My hope is that now that the election is over, President Putin will be able to discuss with us and be willing to talk more seriously about prisoner swaps," President Biden told reporters at a news conference.

"My intention is to bring him home," he added.

President Biden's administration is known to be proposing a prisoner swap with Russia to secure Griner's release, as well as former US Marine Paul Whelan who was also jailed there, at the end of July, but there has been no positive response from Moscow.

Griner, the star of the WNBA club Phoenix Mercury, was arrested on February 17. The February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine and the deteriorating relationship between Washington and Moscow have complicated the talks.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested at Moscow airport when a vape casing containing marijuana oil, banned in Russia, was found in its trunk.

He was sentenced to up to nine years on August 4, on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs. He pleaded guilty, but said he made an "honest mistake" and did not intend to violate the law.

Last week, Russian authorities removed Griner from a detention center outside Moscow and he is now on his way to an undisclosed prison colony, his legal team said on Wednesday.

The move sparked anger from the Biden Administration. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Griner was being transferred to a " remote prison colony" and the United States hoped Russian authorities would grant its embassy officials access to Griner and other Americans detained in Russia.

Meanwhile, the WNBA, in a statement, said it was "collapsed" by the move, calling it a "terrible nightmare, apparently never ending," adding "a lack of clarity and transparency in the process of adding pain."

Both Griner's current and final destinations are unknown, his legal team said and added that according to Russian procedures, his lawyers and the US Embassy must be notified upon arrival, but it will take up to two weeks.

Russia did not tell the United States Griner was transferred, according to a senior State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It is known that the transfer to a prison colony could take time because groups of prisoners were gathered and moved to different locations throughout the world's largest country.

Meanwhile, Russia has declined to comment on the circumstances of negotiations, saying such diplomacy should not be carried out in public.

"Despite Russia's lack of good faith negotiations, the US Government continues to follow up on the offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with Russia through all available channels," said White House spokeswoman Karinne Jean-Pierre.

Griner's lawyers have yet to say whether they will try further appeal against his belief after the Russian court rejected the appeal on October 25.