US ready to help Brittney Griner, Secretary of state says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In an update on WNBA star Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is ready to assist.

Speaking at a press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Blinken said, "Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance and that includes Russia." Blinken noted that due to privacy considerations, he was limited to speak on the matter.

A Change.org petition has been created as well, asking for officials to secure the safe return of Griner.

While looking for assistance for Griner, he's also seeking the release of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.

SEE ALSO: WNBA's Brittney Griner reportedly detained in Russia after officials found hashish oil in luggage

Reed, who is also a Texas native, was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison in 2019. He was charged with public intoxication, but his charges were upped once Russian Federal Security Service found out he was a U.S. Marine. Whelan was arrested in Russia in 2018 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 for espionage.

The U.S. State Department said Sunday that Blinken will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday evening to discuss Ukraine. That visit stop comes after Blinken's visits to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The video above was used in a previous story.