WASHINGTON – A U.S. offer to Russia to gain the release of two Americans detained by Moscow, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, was made weeks ago and the White House is hoping Russia will react favorably, the White House said on Wednesday.
Joshua Geltzer, a senior National Security Council official, has been in touch with the families of Griner and Whelan to brief them ahead of comments from Secretary of State Antony Blinken about attempts to gain their release, said John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland; Editing by Chris Reese)