Russia: No deal reached on release of Griner and Whelan

• "Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal," Blinken said Wednesday, though he did not offer specifics as to the terms. Blinken added that he plans to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "in the coming days."

The big picture: A potential deal could see the U.S. offer to exchange convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and Whelan's release, according to CNN.

• Bout is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in Illinois for supplying weapons to a terrorist organization and conspiring to kill Americans, the Washington Post reported.

What they're saying: “There are no agreements yet which are finalized,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday, per the Post.

• Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Peskov, telling reporters Thursday that no “concrete result” has been reached in the negotiations, the Post reported.
• While Zakharova did not comment on the potential exchange of Bout for Griner and Whelan, she underscored that Russia's interests had to be taken into account, as well.

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