US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and pressed the Kremlin to accept a "substantial proposal" to secure the release of two US citizens detained in Russia.
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In their first such conversation since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the two sides looked to stick to their existing positions, according to the readout of the call from Blinken and the Russian foreign ministry.
"We had a frank and direct conversation," Blinken told a news conference at the US State Department.
"I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner," he said.
Lavrov suggested to Blinken that the two sides return to quiet diplomacy on the issue of prisoner swaps.
"Regarding the possible exchange of imprisoned Russian and US citizens, the Russian side strongly suggested a return to the practice of handling this in a professional way and using 'quiet diplomacy' rather than throwing out speculative information," a Russian foreign ministry statement said.
The United States this week announced that it made an offer to Russia, weeks ago, to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former US marine Paul Whelan but did not reveal what it was offering.
A source familiar with the situation said the US was willing to exchange Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25 year-prison sentence in the United States, as part of a deal.
Families of US citizens detained abroad, many of them by some of the top US adversaries, have been increasing pressure on US 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 February 17 and could face up to 10 years in prison.
Lavrov told a news conference that talks on prisoner exchanges had been taking place since a summit in Geneva last year where Russian President Vladimir Putin and Biden had agreed to nominate officials to look into the issue.
Blinken said he also emphasised to Lavrov that the world expected Russia to fulfill its commitments under a deal with Ukraine struck in Turkey to reopen grain and fertiliser exports that have been blocked by war, which is deepening a worldwide food crisis.
Lavrov told Blinken that it was the US sanctions that complicated the global food situation.
The top US diplomat also warned Lavrov against going ahead with plans to further annex parts of Ukraine.
"The world will not recognise annexations. We will impose additional significant costs on Russia if it moves forward with its plans," he said.
Lavrov said Russia will meet targets of its "special military operation" in Ukraine - the term it uses to define its invasion of Ukraine, which it says is conducted in self-defence.
Ukraine and its allies say the Russian assault is entirely unprovoked.
Lavrov also told Blinken that "the continuous pumping of US and NATO weapons into the armed forces of Ukraine... only prolongs the agony of the regime in Kyiv prolonging the conflict and multiplying the casualties," according to the Russian foreign ministry.
Australian Associated Press
