Russian officials respond to US offer for Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan: 'No agreements have been finalized'

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Russian officials on Thursday responded to reports from the Biden administration that a "substantial proposal" was offered to bring home WNBA player Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, claiming that no deal has been finalized. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference on Wednesday that the Biden administration made the proposal weeks ago, but made no mention of a deal including Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death," who several reports named as being a part of a potential prisoner swap. 

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing in Khimki, Russia, just outside Moscow, on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP)

Asked about the proposal during a press conference the following day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that prisoner swaps were typically negotiated discreetly behind the scenes.

US OFFERS ‘SUBSTANTIAL PROPOSAL’ TO BRING BRITTNEY GRINER, PAUL WHELAN HOME FROM RUSSIA

"We know that such issues are discussed without any such release of information," he said. "Normally, the public learns about it when the agreements are already implemented."

Peskov emphasized that "no agreements have been finalized" and refused to provide further details.

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine accused of espionage and arrested in Russia in December 2018, stands inside a defendant's cage as he waits to hear his verdict on June 15, 2020.  (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said separately that while the Kremlin and U.S. officials have