WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Basketball player Brittney Griner landed in the United States on Friday, after ten months in Russian detention, following a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who landed from his side at Moscow airport.
The completion of Thursday’s swap, after months of painstaking negotiations, was a rare example of US-Russian cooperation following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, even though the Kremlin was quick to say it would not. did not show an improvement in relations between the two countries.
Russian state media touted the swap as a victory for Moscow, following the release of a man the US Justice Department described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers, having sold weapons to terrorists and enemies of America for decades. Viktor Bout has always denied the charges.
US President Joe Biden, announcing the player’s release on Thursday, said the swap ended what he described as “hellish” months for two-time Olympic medalist Brittney Griner, 32. Olympic gold and star of the Phoenix Mercury team.
“I’m so happy to have Brittney back on American soil. Welcome home BG!” Special Envoy to the President of the United States, Roger Carstens, Chief Coordinator for American Hostages, tweeted.
White House spokesman John Kirby in an interview with MSNBC said on Friday that Brittney Griner appeared healthy and in good spirits and was heading to Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. .
(Report Kaylee Greenlee Beal in San Antonio, Guy Faulconbridge and Felix Light in Moscow with Rhea Binoy in Bangalore; French version Federica Mileo, editing by Blandine Hénault)
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