On Thursday morning, President Joe Biden confirmed the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russia. Griner was exchanged for international arms dealer Viktor Bout in a swap that took place in the United Arab Emirates and is on the way back to the U.S. The deal did not include Paul Whelan, a 52-year-old former Marine who was arrested in Russia in 2018 on accusations of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
The U.S. had reportedly discussed bringing home both Griner and Whelan in exchange for Bout, a deal that Biden says Russia was unwilling to make.