Live updates: Brittney Griner released from prison

Paul Whelan, a former US Marine accused of spying and arrested in Russia stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow on August 23, 2019. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Griner's release is bittersweet for the family of longtime detainee Paul Whelan

Brittney Griner's release is both a source of celebration and sadness for the family of Paul Whelan, the 52-year-old former U.S. Marine who has been…

Cherelle Griner (L), spouse of US women's basketball player Brittney Griner, and US President Joe Biden arrive for a press conference about the release of Brittney Griner, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 8, 2022. - Biden said Thursday that Griner is "on her way home" after being freed from Russia in a prisoner swap for Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout. "She is safe. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Moscow calls it a trade. Washington says Griner was ‘released’

The two sides of the prisoner swap that freed American Brittney Griner and Russian Viktor Bout are using very different language to describe the…

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 30: A banner with a picture of Trevor Reed, a U.S. Marine who is currently being detained in a Russian prison, hangs in Lafayette Park near the White House as Joey Reed and Paula Reed, the parents of Trevor, demonstrate on March 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Reed parents announced that their son Trevor has begun a second hunger strike to protest the conditions of his treatment in prison, which he has been held in since allegedly assaulting a police officer in Moscow in 2019. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Griner is the second American detainee released from Russia this year

This is the second high-profile prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia in 2022.In April, 30-year-old former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed was released in…

Paul Whelan, a former US marine accused of espionage and arrested in Russia in December 2018, stands inside a defendants' cage as he waits to hear his verdict in Moscow on June 15, 2020. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden vows to keep working to bring Paul Whelan home from Russia too

As the Biden administration celebrates the homecoming of one prominent American detained in Russia, it's pledging to continue working to secure the…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Paul Whelan's release is 'long overdue'

In a State Department statement released early Thursday, Secretary Antony Blinken thanked the State Department team involved in negotiations and Special…

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 08: Cherelle Griner (L), wife of Olympian and WNBA player Brittney Griner, speaks after U.S. President Joe Biden announced her release from Russian custody, at the White House on December 08, 2022 in Washington, DC. Griner was released as part of a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Griner's wife, Cherelle, says she is overwhelmed by emotions

Flanked by President Biden and Vice President Harris, Cherelle Griner said she was overwhelmed by emotions, expressing gratitude to members of the…

Russian alleged arms dealer, Viktor Bout is escorted by Court security guards following his verdict at the Criminal Court in Bangkok on August 11, 2009. The Thai court rejected a request by the United States for the extradition of Bout, the alleged Russian arms dealer dubbed the "Merchant of Death." AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP via Getty Images)

Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer the U.S. is trading for Griner?

Russia has released WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for bringing less than a gram of hash oil into the country when…

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 08: U.S. President Joe Biden (R) speaks on the release of Olympian and WNBA player Brittney Griner from Russian custody, at the White House on December 08, 2022 in Washington, DC. Griner was released as part of a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Biden was joined by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Biden says Griner is safe and relieved

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, President Biden reiterated that Brittney Griner is safe and on a plane home after months of being detained in a…

Russia's Foreign Ministry issues a statement confirming the swap

Ahead of President Biden's speech announcing the news, Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed the details of the swap on their end. “The exchange took place…

Live updates: Brittney Griner released from prison

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