Why was Brittney Greener released from Russian detention in a prisoner exchange?

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It wasn’t about the gram of cannabis oil. But the WNBA star Brittney Griner has been arrested In the new geopolitical struggle between Russia and the United States. She has been imprisoned since her arrest at Moscow airport in February for carrying the gram. In August, Russia sentenced her to nine years in a penal colony.

This morning, the White House announced that Greiner was released On her way home to the United States. She was replaced in the UAE by the notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “Merchant of Death,” which had been held in the United States for more than a decade.

“After months of unjust detention in Russia, under unbearable conditions, Britney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there the whole time,” said President Joe Biden.

Taking the case to the White House shows the importance of bringing home an American citizen held in outrageous conditions. (A senior administration official said Thursday that President Joe Biden has been “personally tracking” the negotiations.) But it is too early to say it has larger implications for the US role in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Here’s what we know about how and why the prisoner swap happened now, and what else it might mean.

How Brittney Griner Was Brought Home

The most likely explanation is also the most obvious: Victor Bout trading with Brittney Griner could be the best deal for both Russia and the United States. It took some time for each side to realize this.

Biden administration Make a copy of this general framework About six months ago, it offered a bot swap for Greiner and Paul Whelan, a US corporate security director and ex-Marine convicted of espionage who’s been held in Russia since 2018. But at the time, that deal didn’t seem to be gaining much traction.

What’s particularly interesting is that the deal was announced. We don’t usually hear such details. “It was exceptionally rare in this process,” said Danielle Gilbert, a fellow at Dartmouth College who studies hostage negotiations.

Meanwhile, both Russia and the United States have taken measures to improve their influence. The Russians followed Greiner, for which the court issued a harsh prison sentence, and then transferred her to a penal colony. In recent months, the United States has worked with partners to Arrest Russians around the world, especially because of evading sanctions. The administration official said the United States “relied on” its partners around the world “to tell the Russians how serious we are about resolving issues of wrongful detention.”

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