WASHINGTON, November 9. /TASS/. The Biden administration is working to improve the treatment of detained basketball star Brittney Griner and has put forward an offer to secure her release, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to Jean-Pierre, US officials continue "to work tirelessly to secure her release" and have been making attempts "to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony." "As we have said before, the US Government made a significant offer to the Russians to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens," Jean-Pierre said.

She added that in the subsequent weeks the US administration had continued to "follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels."

Earlier, Washington offered Moscow to exchange Russian businessman Viktor Bout who is serving a prison term in the US on arms trafficking charges for Griner and Paul Whelan, convicted in Russia for spying. The prisoner swap was among the topics discussed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in late July. The Russian side said after the talks that Lavrov had strongly recommended to his US counterpart that the sides return to "quiet diplomacy" on this issue. Later, the US media reported, citing unnamed sources, that Moscow had proposed including another Russian national serving a prison term in a Western country in the potential swap deal.

On August 4, a court outside Moscow sentenced Griner for nine years in a penal colony, naming her athletic achievements and admission of guilt as mitigating circumstances. She was found guilty of illegally possessing and transporting drugs, as well as drug smuggling on a significant scale. Griner was arrested for attempting to illegally bring drugs into Russia through Sheremetyevo Airport. The American athlete pleaded guilty but emphasized that she had put cannabis oil in her bag in haste and without any intention to smuggle.