CNN first reported exclusively in August that the Russians had requested that Krasikov be released along with Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was serving a 25-year sentence in the US, in exchange for Whelan and Griner.Frédéric Bélot, a lawyer who represented Vinnik in France before his extradition to the US, told CNN on Friday that he was not aware of any current discussions between Moscow and Washington over including Vinnik in a potential prisoner swap.But Bélot said he could see Vinnik being part of prisoner swap negotiations in the future.But ultimately, the Russians indicated they would only be willing to trade someone they considered to be a spy -- Whelan, who was convicted on espionage charges in 2019 -- for one of Russia's own spies: Krasikov.A senior Biden administration official acknowledged to CNN on Thursday night that the Russian side had repeatedly demanded someone not even in US custody, even as the US made a number of different proposals."