JUST IN: Pres. Biden will meet Friday with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, who remain detained in Russia.
WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, waits for the verdict inside a defendants' cage during a hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, Aug. 4, 2022.President Joe Biden will meet Friday at the White House with the families of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, two American citizens who remain detained in Russia.
The Biden administration said in July that it had made a "substantial proposal" to Russia to have Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan returned to the U.S. but Jean-Pierre said no breakthroughs were expected at Biden's meeting. Still Jean-Pierre said Biden wanted to let the families know they remain "front of mind" for the administration.
There have been few public signs of progress since Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a rare announcement in late July, revealed the U.S. had made the “substantial proposal” to secure the release of both Americans. “Why this process has taken so long is a better question for Moscow,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday.
As talks continue behind the scenes, the Biden administration has bristled at any outside influence. After former New Mexico governor and hostage negotiator Bill Richardson traveled to Moscow this week, officials warned such interference could jeopardize the delicate diplomacy underway.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
President Joe Biden touring Detroit Auto Show WednesdayTransportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg will also be at the auto show as both him and the president hope to refocus more attention on the electric vehicle pivot ongoing in the industry. FOX13
Read more »
President Joe Biden Hopes Ending Cancer Can Be ‘National Purpose’ for USAt the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, President Biden channeled JFK’s famed moonshot speech 60 years ago, likening the space race to his own effort and hoping it, too, would galvanize Americans.
Read more »
Biden's tight spot: a union backer out to avert rail strikePresident Joe Biden believes unions built the middle class
Read more »
Tentative railway labor deal reached, averting strike, President Joe Biden saysPresident Joe Biden said that a tentative railway labor agreement has been reached, averting a strike. Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department to hammer out a deal.
Read more »