from government sources unlocking some of the mystery behind the talks. one crucial move, a trip to moscow in february. coordinated with the white house. by former u.s. ambassador and his team. which privately works to free american detainees. they met with top russian officials one day before they launched the invasion of ukraine. they were ready to talk. i must say that the tension was very high. i must be honest. i wanted not to stay very long. i sensed the invasion was going to happen. he says he and his team came from the meeting with a sense of what the kremlin was willing to do. not just regarding reed. but also paul wailen another american being held. i sense they were ready to move ahead. with reed. on the whelan case, they wanted to see how the reed initiative went. at that time he didn t know basketball star britney griner