Despite the strong hostility between Russia and America, behind closed doors the scene is different, as diplomatic negotiations are underway between the two sides of which little is known, as revealed by the American network of CNN in an exclusive news program in which it states that a team American diplomat led by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson was in Moscow this week, they held meetings with the Russian leadership, but the details were not immediately clear.
Richardson, a diplomat and former governor of New Mexico, works privately on behalf of hostage families and inmates, and the trip comes as the administration of US President Joe Biden is working to free two Americans the State Department has designated. as unfairly detained: Britney Greiner and Paul Whelan.
A spokesperson for Richardson told CNN on Tuesday that “at this point we cannot comment on what is happening.”
Previous reports had said in mid-July that Richardson was due to travel to the Russian capital.
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Russia and America
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When asked about Richardson’s trip, a senior Biden administration official said that anyone “going to Russia is a normal citizen and does not speak on behalf of the US government,” but the Biden administration acknowledged that it was working to ensure the release of Greiner and Whelan.
In late July, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that the United States had made a “substantive proposal” to seek the release of Greiner and Whelan. Sources said the proposal included an American swap for convicted arms dealer Victor Bout.
On Tuesday, a senior US administration official confirmed they had made “a major offer and are constantly following up on this offer.”
Richardson worked extensively to secure the release of Americans detained overseas and played a role in securing the release of another American, Trevor Reid, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The US official told CNN that members of the Richardson Center traveled to Moscow in February, in the days leading up to the Russian war in Ukraine, to meet with Russian leadership.
After that visit, the Richardson Center got a clear impression of what the Russians were willing to do and Reed was released in a prisoner exchange in April.
Last week, State Department spokesman Vidant Patel said, “The US government continues to urge Russia to release unjustly detained people.”
He continued: “It was clear that there had been a substantial proposal on the table for weeks to facilitate their release.”
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