Russia files U.S. request for detainee swap. Moscow offers to hand over basketball player Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan in exchange for Zelimkhan Khangoshvili's killer Viktor Krasikov, writes CNN.

The American side received a request at the beginning of the month, journalists' sources say.. The request was transmitted through unofficial channels.

Most problematic is the exchange of Krasikov, whom Bellingcat investigators identified as a possible agent of the Russian GRU, who has been convicted and is serving a sentence in Germany..

However, the United States is seriously considering the exchange and has already approached the German side with an informal inquiry about whether Krasikov could be included on the exchange list, a source told reporters..

Sources in the German government said that the issue of exchanging Krasikov has never been raised to the highest level, and the prospect itself is not taken seriously..

Nevertheless, tacit contacts between Washington and Berlin show that the Russians are interested in the American proposal.. Earlier, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States made a "

“Holding two illegally detained Americans hostage for the release of a Russian killer in the custody of a third country is not a serious counteroffer.. And an unscrupulous attempt to evade it, ”said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the US National Security Council, commenting on a possible exchange..

The day before, Blinken had a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. One of the topics was also the exchange of Whelan and Greiner.

Kremlin accepts US offer, secretary says. The Russian Foreign Ministry responded by urging the United States to return to "

Interlocutors of journalists suggest that Russia, even refusing to exchange Krasikov, will seek the exchange of two other convicted Russians. For example, arms dealer Viktor Bout or hacker Roman Seleznev.

However, US officials believe that the Russian Federation is simply trying to play for time, making frivolous proposals until the end of the Greiner trial..