Households are pushing US to safe launch of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan, held in Russia.

US President Joe Biden has met with the households of basketball star Brittney Griner and former marine Paul Whelan, amid ongoing efforts in Washington to safe two Americans’ launch from detention in Russia.

Biden sat down within the Oval Workplace on Friday with Cherelle Griner, the spouse of Griner, and Elizabeth Whelan, the ex-marine’s sister.

The conferences started shortly earlier than 5pm (21:00 GMT), the White Home stated.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White Home press secretary, stated earlier this week that Biden hoped the face-to-face talks will present the households “that they continue to be entrance of thoughts” for the US administration.

“Whereas I’d like to say that the aim of this assembly is to tell the households that the Russians have accepted our provide and we’re bringing their loved-ones dwelling, that’s not what we’re seeing in these negotiations at the moment,” Jean-Pierre advised reporters.

Griner, a Girls’s Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (WNBA) and two-time Olympic gold medallist, was sentenced to 9 years in jail final month over drug fees.

She was arrested in February, days earlier than Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and her case has moved via the Russian court docket system amid frayed relations between Moscow and Washington over the battle.

Whelan, a Marine veteran, was sentenced to 16 years in jail in 2020 on espionage fees.

The US State Division has referred to as the detention of each US residents unjustified.

Earlier on Friday, a White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson stated negotiations with Moscow to safe the 2 People’ launch are ongoing.

“The president felt it was vital to proceed the dialogue with the relations … We now have stayed in contact with them all through; we’ve got saved them knowledgeable all through,” John Kirby advised reporters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in July that Washington made a “substantial proposal” to Moscow to free Griner and Whelan.

A number of US media retailers reported round that point that the Biden administration supplied a prisoner trade involving a Russian arms seller detained within the US.

On Friday, Kirby advised reporters that Russia has not responded to that supply, “however that doesn’t imply that we’re not nonetheless in negotiations or we’re not nonetheless making an attempt”.

Moscow stated final month that it was “prepared” to debate a prisoner swap take care of Washington.

In the meantime, Griner’s kin, teammates and supporters have been calling on the US authorities to place its full weight behind the case to push for her launch.

Griner was accused of bringing vape canisters containing hashish oil into Russia, the place she was set to play for a basketball workforce in Yekaterinburg.

Regardless of the deteriorating ties between Washington and Moscow, Russia in April freed Trevor Reed, a former US marine. In trade, the US launched Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving a 20-year sentence within the US over drug fees.