The Russians communicated the request to the United States earlier this month through an informal back channel used by the spy agency, known as the FSB, that they wanted Vadim Krasikov to release more than Viktor Bout, the sources said. Krasikov was convicted in December of the 2019 murder of former Chechen fighter Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili in Berlin’s Kleiner Tiergarten and sentenced to life in prison.
The request was considered problematic for several reasons, the sources told CNN, including that Krasikov remains in German custody. As such, and because the request was not formally communicated but through the back channel of the FSB, the US government did not see it as a legitimate counter to the US offer which was revealed by first reported by CNN on Wednesday.
But underscoring how determined the Biden administration has been to bring Griner and Whelan back to the U.S., U.S. officials asked the Germans discreet questions about whether they would be willing to include Krasikov in the trade, a U.S. source told CNN. german government A US official characterized the disclosure as a state check on Krasikov.
Talks were never elevated to the highest levels of the German government and the inclusion of Krasikov in a potential trade has not been seriously considered, the German source said. But the previously unreported discussions reveal that Russian officials have at least somewhat compromised the US proposal.
Although the request was not made through formal channels, the FSB has an expansive mission and is a core part of the Russian security apparatus. Russian President Vladimir Putin worked for his powerful predecessor, the KGB.
When asked for comment, a State Department official told CNN that “In order to preserve the best opportunity for a successful outcome, we will not comment publicly on any speculation.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the US had put “a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago” to facilitate the release of Griner and Whelan. He added that “our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly about this proposal.”
Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday about the proposed exchange. They had a “frank and direct conversation,” Blinken said.
“I lobbied the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal we put forward for the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner,” Blinken added.
Multiple sources told CNN that even if it is not Krasikov, the Russians will likely demand the release of two prisoners in exchange for Griner and Whelan. Russian government officials have publicly indicated in recent weeks that they want to see the release of Bout and Roman Seleznev, a convicted hacker currently serving a 27-year sentence in the US.
“I am not sure that any additional activity, especially in the public sphere, will help a correct and balanced compromise and find a basis to alleviate the fate of many of our compatriots like Viktor Bout, who has health problems.” [or] like Seleznev and many others,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters earlier this month.
But U.S. officials believe Russia is just trying to buy time by making frivolous offers until Griner’s trial is over.
Griner is on trial for allegedly entering Russia in February with cannabis oil in her luggage, which she said she uses for pain relief and inadvertently packed in her bags. Whelan was convicted of espionage charges in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The State Department has declared them both wrongfully detained.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to the report.