BREAKING: Brittney Griner was released by Russian authorities on Thursday as part of a prisoner swap deal after being held for nearly a year on drug charges.
, who is also detained in Russia on espionage charges and was not part of the deal.
While it’s not yet clear what broke the negotiating deadlock to secure Griner’s return, Biden’s administration at least made one concession by agreeing to make the deal a one-for-one swap, according to CBS. Speaking on Thursday morning, President Biden said that it was “a good morning” at the White House. “This is a day that we worked toward for a long time,” Biden said. “We never stopped pushing for her release.” He added: “I’m glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits. She’s relieved to finally be heading home, and the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life experiencing needless trauma.
Addressing Whelan’s case, Biden said: “Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up.” In a statement David Whelan, Paul Whelan’s brother, said he was “so glad” that Griner is on her way home, but added that “our family is still devastated.” “Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage,” the statement read. “But how many more times do I need to write that?”
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