US proposes swap with Russia to free Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan

The State Department proposed a prisoner swap with Russia in an effort to free WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American, Paul Whelan.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken added he would engage with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It was the first public acknowledgement of a deal that could involve a prisoner swap or addressing the sanctions placed on the country after it invaded Ukraine.

“My hope would be that in speaking to Foreign Minister Lavrov, I can advance the efforts to bring them home,” Blinken said. Blinken said President Joe Biden has been directly involved in the negotiations and he signed off on the offer to Moscow.