Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Blinken, Lavrov Discuss Release of US Prisoners over Phone


Fri 29 Jul 2022 | 10:25 PM
Rana Atef

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Both officials discussed securing the release of two Americans detained in Russia.

Blinken said in a news conference: "We had a frank and direct conversation," adding: "I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner."

The US State Department announced early Friday that a phone call is being prepared for between Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

The US State Department expressed – in a statement reported by “Al-Hurra” channel on (Thursday) – its hope that the call will be made in the coming days.

It added that a request was submitted to the Russians to hold a call between Lavrov and Blinken, but there was no response yet, pointing out that the American offer to exchange prisoners with Russia did not progress as much as Washington had hoped.

Last February, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov planned after Moscow announced the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine.

“Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time,” Blinken told reporters on Tuesday after a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Washington.