WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner (photo: Lorie Shaull – CC License)
Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was held for months in Russian prisons on drug charges, was released Thursday in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, CBS News learned early Thursday from a U.S. official.
The one-for-one exchange agreement negotiated with Moscow in recent weeks was given final approval by President Biden within just the last week, according to sources familiar with the deal. The swap, first reported by CBS News, took place on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates.
U.S. officials told reporters that it became clear in talks with the Russians that the prospect of securing the release of both Griner and Whelan in exchange for Bout was a nonstarter, with one saying the U.S. had was “a choice between bringing home one particular American — Brittney Griner — or bringing home none.”
Emphasis is mine. According to a White House spokesman, Biden and Griner’s wife, Cherelle, spoke to Griner by phone from the Oval office. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were also present. https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1600841306560937986 https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1600847417980526593
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