While fielding questions from reporters near the White House, Biden was asked if he has seen any movement after he said he was open to discussing it with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Not with Putin,” Biden said in response to the question.

Biden’s comments come shortly after he spoke about a possible meeting with Putin to discuss the release of Griner, a Olympic gold medalist who was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison on drug charges.

Shortly after Griner was detained, Biden promised that the U.S. would work for her release, saying in a statement that “it’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”

Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was detained in Russia in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 on espionage charges. Whelan has maintained his innocence and his family has repeatedly called for his release.

During a recent interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Biden was asked about attending the Group of Twenty (G20) summit next month and possibly talking with Putin amid Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine.

“I have no intention of meeting with him,” Biden said. “But, for example, if he came to me at the G20 and said, ‘I want to talk about the release of Griner,’ I would meet with him.”

Brian Taylor, a political science professor at Syracuse University whose research focuses on Russia and Putin, told Newsweek on Wednesday that he thinks Biden’s recent comment “should be interpreted that there is no movement by Putin to discuss Griner, although perhaps there is movement on the Griner case independent of Putin.”

“More generally, U.S.-Russian relations will continue to be bad as long as Russia is waging war against Ukraine,” added Taylor, the author of State Building in Putin’s Russia: Policing and Coercion after Communism. “But Biden wants to leave open the possibility of trying to arrange the release of Brittney Griner and other Americans held illegitimately in Russia, such as Paul Whelan.”

In August, Griner was sentenced to prison after she was caught in possession of cannabis oil at an airport near the Russian capital of Moscow. Shortly after, U.S. officials reportedly spoke about a prisoner swap to have Griner released. In exchange, the U.S. would be required to release Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is known as the “Merchant of Death.”

Attorney Andrew M. Lieb told Newsweek in August that American citizens should learn from Griner’s detainment.

“Hopefully, the Biden administration can get Brittney home, but, regardless, every citizen should learn from her experience before boarding a plane that crosses any border,” Lieb said.

“Nine years for bringing a cannabis-infused vape cartridge is cringeworthy to every American, but that is the reality of travel when you don’t first study up on the laws and the political climate of where you are headed.”

Earlier this month, a Russian court agreed to schedule Griner’s appealing hearing for the charges for October 25, the Associated Press reported.

Newsweek reached out to the White House and Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.