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US-Russia Prisoner Swap: Basketball Star Griner for Arms Dealer Bout

By Ken Bredemeier December 08, 2022

The United States and Russia carried out a high-stakes prisoner swap on Thursday, with Moscow freeing professional basketball star Brittney Griner and Washington handing over notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Russia said the swap took place in the United Arab Emirates. Later, U.S. President Joe Biden, who had long pressed the Russian government to free Griner, officially announced her release.

"She represents the best of America," Biden said at the White House, noting that Griner would be back in the United States within 24 hours.

"I spoke with Brittney Griner," Biden said. "She's safe. She's on a plane. She's on her way home. After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances. Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along."

Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, thanked Biden and an array of U.S. officials for their efforts in freeing her spouse after nine months of imprisonment. Cherelle Griner said that she and Brittney Griner would continue their support for the release of Paul Whelan, another American held in Russia who was not included in Thursday's deal.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a news conference, "This was not a choice of which American to bring home. The choice was one or none. I wish we could have brought Paul Whelan on the same plane as Brittney."

Griner, 32, was detained at a Moscow airport in February when she arrived in Russia with vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage. The Women's National Basketball Association star had gone to Russia to play for a Russian team during her off-season in the U.S., but instead was convicted of the drug charge after a brief trial, sentenced to nine years of imprisonment, and recently sent to a Russian penal colony.

Even as the U.S. has led the Western coalition of countries supplying munitions to Ukraine in its 10-month fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion, the two countries held behind-the-scenes talks about the release of the two prisoners.

Earlier this year, Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov talked about the would-be prisoner exchange, which at the time was their first known contact in more than five months, as Moscow's attacks on Ukraine continued.

In an extraordinary move during otherwise secret negotiations, Blinken revealed publicly in July that the U.S. had made a "substantial proposal" to Russia for Griner and Whelan.