Secretary of State Tony Blinken said Friday that he spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and urged him to accept a "substantial proposal" on the release of two detained Americans in Russia, Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.
Driving the news: "We had a frank and direct conversation," Blinken said Friday of the discussion. "I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner."