This week, US President Joe Biden has spoken to the wife of imprisoned basketball star Brittney Griner and guaranteed that he will work to get her released as soon as possible, according to the White House.

Griner, imprisoned in Russia, wrote in a letter to Biden on Monday that "I am terrified that I will stay here forever".

On Thursday, the trial of Griner, who was arrested on February 17 at an airport in Chimki, outside Moscow, continued after Russian authorities said they had found e-cigarettes with traces of cannabis oil.

Disrupts the trial process

On Thursday, the day after Biden spoke to Griner's wife, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke.

According to him, the "hype" from the American side is disrupting the trial.

- It not only creates distraction from the case, but it also creates disturbances.

Silence is needed here, Ryabkov told Russian media, according to AFP.

He believes that an exchange of letters between the American president and Griner is not helpful.

- It is not correspondence of this kind that can help, but a serious perception from the American side about the signals they received from Moscow through specialized channels, Ryabkov says.

Griner risks up to ten years in prison for drug offenses.