Months of “difficult” negotiations with the Russians culminated on Thursday prisoner exchange guarantees Brittney Griner’s releaseOnly in recent weeks has it become clear that there is an opportunity for a deal to happen, said senior US administration officials.
How the swap works: The final agreement was reached in the last 48 hours, officials said, kicking off the process of moving Griner out of the penal colony where she is serving a long sentence.
On Thursday morning, she boarded a plane to the United Arab Emirates. Once there, she met US officials on the tarmac, including the president’s special envoy for hostage affairs Roger Carstens. She is in an “extremely optimistic mood” and is “always smiling” and “grateful.”
Officials said the WNBA star is in good health and “is being offered a variety of support options”. She will be provided with a “full range” of services to help her transition back to life at home.
Bout’s release requires an act of clemency from the president to end Bout’s time in US custody after more than 12 years. However, the official clarified the guilt of his sentence was upheld.
The United States briefed a number of key partners – including the Ukrainians – of the negotiations and agreements that secured Griner’s release. However, the war in Ukraine itself was not at the center of negotiations to secure her release.
The United States has engaged several other international partners in the effort to release Griner, including the United Arab Emirates, where she flew after leaving Russia. However, when asked about Saudi Arabia’s role, the country stated in a statement that its powerful crown, Mohammed bin Salman, has jointly led the reconciliation efforts to ensure In the release of Griner, US officials believe several countries were involved.
But Paul Whelan is still detained in Russia: Officials said Griner’s release was an important breakthrough, but still a “painful” one. In exchange for a convicted arms dealer, Russia would only agree to release Griner, leaving another American – Paul Whelan – behind. In the many skirmishes over the past weeks and months, Russian officials have made it clear that releasing Viktor Bout is the only way for them to free Griner from her custody.
The official said the choice is to get “Brittney Griner home now or no home in the US from Russia right now.”
Biden made the “difficult decision” to accept the deal. Senior US government officials visited Whelan’s sister to “share and talk” about the news. Another senior US official spoke at length on Thursday with Whelan himself, still in a prison in Russia.
Officials say the United States has offered several options to Russia to secure Whelan’s release and believes Moscow remains open to negotiations.
