Brittney Griner arrives in U.S. following her release by Russia in prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout - CBS News

The captive speech that freed WNBA prima Brittney Griner and planetary arms trader Viktor Bout sparked contention successful the U.S., successful portion due to the fact that it near retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned successful Russia and due to the fact that of information concerns surrounding Bout.

But a U.S. authoritative explained to CBS News that, "As portion of immoderate decision-making process connected whether to commute a sentence, the U.S. authorities ever conducts a information appraisal by quality experts. The medication wouldn't determination guardant if determination is capable crushed to beryllium concerned.

"In Bout's case, helium has not had entree to his erstwhile networks for implicit a decade, and the supply/demand for arms has changed drastically. When helium was apprehended, determination was an excess proviso of weapons. Now, Russia can't get capable of them. Bout had besides served the bulk of his condemnation and is not idiosyncratic progressive successful caller transgression activity. That said, the U.S. volition of people stay vigilant."

CBS News analogous Robert Legare reports that tribunal documents amusement the U.S. authorities said it was asking that Bout beryllium released "based connected important overseas argumentation interests of the United States."

The Department of Justice filed for Bout's merchandise connected Nov. 29, according to tribunal documents docketed nether seal that day. Judge Victor Marrero granted the petition that aforesaid day.

Arms trader Viktor Bout is sleeping astatine location successful Moscow aft the agelong travel backmost from the U.S. aft the captive speech that freed him, the Reuters quality work quotes his wife, Alla, arsenic saying Friday.

"Viktor is sleeping close now," she told Reuters. "He has not slept for 3 days truthful helium is resting."

The authoritative Russian quality bureau TASS said Bout's woman told it he's "exhausted" and feels "terrible" aft the agelong journey. TASS added that Bout's household expects the U.S. to manus implicit his documents and drawings to the Russian embassy.

President Biden spoke Thursday day with the sister of imprisoned Marine Paul Whelan, a U.S. authoritative confirmed to CBS News.

The authoritative said that Mr. Biden expressed to Elizabeth Whelan his committedness to bringing Paul Whelan home.

Mr. Biden has not himself yet spoken with Paul Whelan, the authoritative added, successful portion due to the fact that the Russians indispensable o.k. each Whelan's connection to the extracurricular world.

Whelan has been imprisoned successful Russia since 2018. He was convicted connected espionage charges that the U.S. has called false.

According to the documents, the U.S. authorities said it was making the petition to person Bout, who was being held successful a national situation successful Illinois, released "based connected important overseas argumentation interests of the United States."   

The Department of Justice filed for Bout's merchandise connected Nov. 29, according to tribunal documents, which were docketed nether seal that day. Judge Victor Marrero granted the Justice Department's petition that aforesaid day.

The Justice Department asked to person Bout released to U.S. Marshals betwixt Dec. 2 and Dec. 16 and "to support custody of Bout unless and until the President of the United States executes clemency power."

In an interrogation with "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan, his archetypal since the captive swap, Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the determination to marque the exchange, saying it was "totally unacceptable that Brittney Griner was down bars." He besides responded to disapproval that Bout was excessively invaluable an plus to surrender for Griner's release.

"In the lawsuit of Viktor Bout, these are hard decisions. And yet those of america moving for the president marque recommendations, springiness advice. He's the 1 who has to marque the hard calls. And helium made a hard call," Blinken said. "Viktor Bout's been disconnected the playing tract since 2008, which is simply a precise bully thing, and helium served astir fractional of his sentence. At immoderate point, successful the years to come, helium was going to get out. And I'm gladsome astatine slightest that we were capable to get Brittney Griner home."

The caput revealed successful July that the U.S. had enactment guardant a "substantial proposal" to Russia aimed astatine securing some Griner and Whelan's release. He said Thursday talks yet reached the constituent wherever "it was wide that determination was an accidental to bring Brittney back."

"The prime wasn't betwixt getting 1 American oregon the different back. The prime earlier america was 1 oregon none. And the president decided that it was important to astatine slightest bring Brittney location now, and enactment connected getting Paul back, too," Blinken said, echoing different U.S. officials.

Blinken said that the woody to unafraid Griner's state had nary bearing connected talks with Russia connected different issues and included nary different provisions. 

"What we've demonstrated each on is that contempt the challenges, to accidental the least, successful the larger relationship, contempt the Russian warfare of aggression against Ukraine, we are capable to enactment connected circumstantial issues, chiseled issues that we have, to spot if we tin marque progress. And each on we've been moving to get backmost Americans who person been unjustly detained," helium said. "This was astir getting Brittney home. This was astir getting unjustly detained Americans backmost to their families. That was the focus. It's thing more. It's besides thing less."

Russian authorities media outlets released footage that shows Griner leaving what appears to beryllium the penal colony wherever she was being held, boarding a pitchy successful Moscow and walking crossed the tarmac to state successful Abu Dhabi.

The footage shows Griner signing paperwork astatine the distant installation successful Mordovia, wherever she was transferred successful November. She is shown getting into a van, carrying 2 duffel bags. 

Griner is past seen boarding a pitchy with her bags. After flashing a changeable of Griner's passport, the clip cuts to Griner seated successful the plane, wearing a reddish overgarment and grey skull cap. A antheral disconnected camera with a dense Russian accent asks, "What's your mood?"

"Happy," Griner replied, nervously laughing. 

Footage from Russian authorities media shows Brittney Griner aboard a level earlier being released into U.S. custody. Russia Today

"Are you acceptable for our flight?" helium asked.

"Yes, I'm ready," she said.

The antheral switches to speaking Russian, and the cameraman translates for Griner:

"Do you cognize wherever you're headed to?"

"No."

"You're flying backmost home."

"To the U.S.?"

"To the U.S."

"OK, OK." 

"Everything volition beryllium fine."

More footage shows the infinitesimal Griner and Bout were exchanged connected the tarmac successful Abu Dhabi. Griner is seen wearing the aforesaid reddish coat, walking alongside 3 officials. Bout, carrying an envelope, approaches with 1 man, and hugs 1 of the Russian officials escorting Griner. Griner, who stands astatine 6 ft 8 inches, leaves with the antheral who escorted Bout arsenic the 2 groups separate.

The captive speech of Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout successful footage released by Russian authorities media. Russia Today

The footage was changeable from wrong the level that Bout boarded. Subsequent footage shows doctors examining Bout, taking his somesthesia and humor pressure.

Pressed connected the circumstances surrounding the one-to-one captive speech with Russia, which near Whelan imprisoned, White House property caput Karine Jean-Pierre said the Russians were "not consenting to negociate successful bully faith" for Whelan's release.

"[What] we were near with is either we bring Brittney location oregon nary 1 astatine all," she told reporters during the White House property briefing.

Jean-Pierre said that successful caller weeks, it became wide to the Biden medication that the Russians "continued to dainty Paul otherwise … with their wholly illegitimate charge" accusing him of espionage.

"This was not a prime for america of which American to bring home. That was not the choice. It was a prime betwixt bringing location 1 American oregon bringing location none, and we brought 1 location today," she said.

Jean-Pierre reiterated that the U.S. is committed to securing Whelan's merchandise and said the medication made "every imaginable connection available" to nary avail. Mr. Biden is prepared to talk with Whelan's household Thursday oregon erstwhile they are acceptable to speech with the president, she said.

"We would person preferred — of people we would person preferred — to spot them some released, that's what we person been calling on," she said. "But we did not privation to suffer the accidental earlier america to unafraid the merchandise of 1 of them. That was the choice: 1 oregon none, and not which one."

Jean-Pierre besides provided a timeline of the much contiguous events starring up to Griner's release, which began with medication officials pursuing "many antithetic avenues" implicit the past months to unafraid her freedom.

Mr. Biden approved moving guardant with Bout's merchandise this past week, and implicit the past 48 hours, Griner was moved from the penal colony wherever she was imprisoned to Moscow, and past flown to the United Arab Emirates.

On Wednesday, U.S. officials met with Whelan's family. On Thursday, Bout's conditional assistance of clemency was completed erstwhile U.S. officials connected the crushed successful the UAE confirmed Griner had arrived.

Jean-Pierre said Cherelle Griner was invited to the White House for a gathering with nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan and, erstwhile she arrived Thursday morning, was welcomed into the Oval Office wherever Mr. Biden told her of Griner's return, Jean-Pierre said.

Griner is connected the level backmost to the U.S., she said.

Cathy Engelbert, commissioner of the WNBA, said the league is "grateful beyond measure" to each who helped unafraid Griner's freedom.

"There has not been a time implicit the past 10 months wherever we each haven't had Brittney Griner connected our minds and successful our hearts and that has present turned into a corporate question of joyousness and alleviation knowing that she volition soon beryllium reunited with her family, the WNBA subordinate community, and her friends," she said successful a statement. "BG has shown bonzer courageousness and dignity successful the look of tremendous adversity."

Echoing the sentiments of others, Engelbert said the WNBA hopes for Whelan and different Americans unjustly detained to beryllium returned to the U.S.

Paul Whelan spoke by telephone to CNN from the Russian penal colony wherever helium is being held, and said helium was "greatly disappointed that much has not been done to unafraid my release, particularly arsenic the 4 twelvemonth day of my apprehension is coming up."

Whelan said helium was gladsome to perceive Griner had been freed, but added that helium was "led to judge that things were moving successful the close direction, and that the governments were negotiating and that thing would hap reasonably soon." The retired Marine said the Russians considered him a spy, meaning they spot him connected "a level higher than what they did with Trevor [Reed] and Brittney" successful talks with the U.S.

"That raises a batch of concerns due to the fact that nary of it is true. And they're trying to get retired of the United States what the United States whitethorn not beryllium capable to provide, but this is fundamentally governmental extortion," helium told CNN.

"I would accidental that if a connection could spell to President Biden, that this is simply a precarious concern that needs to beryllium resolved quickly," helium added. "My bags are packed. I'm acceptable to spell home. I conscionable request an airplane to travel and get me."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi commended Mr. Biden, Blinken and nationalist information officials for their enactment successful freeing Griner from Russia and said some the state and Congress are "overjoyed" to larn of her release.

"Today, our hearts are with her beloved wife, Cherelle, and the full Griner household arsenic their beloved Brittney is safely connected her mode backmost to America and volition beryllium location for the holidays," the talker said successful a statement.

Pelosi lamented that Griner suffered "unthinkable trauma" for 10 months portion she was wrongfully imprisoned successful Russia and criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for the harm to Griner during her detention.

"Putin's cruelty against Brittney — and his monstrous actions against Ukraine — are staggering reminders of his brazen contempt for quality rights, quality dignity and the regularisation of law," she said.

Pelosi, too, said Congress supports the Biden administration's ongoing efforts to unafraid the merchandise of Whelan and different Americans wrongfully detained successful Russia.

Senior medication officials told reporters successful a telephone Thursday greeting that Griner was moved a to Moscow "couple days ago" from the penal colony wherever she was imprisoned, earlier being taken to the UAE for the captive swap. The officials said the president spoke to her from the tarmac successful the UAE, and she is successful the aerial and connected her mode backmost to the states. 

One authoritative said she is "in bully health" and was successful an upbeat mood, anxious to get backmost to her wife, friends, household and WNBA. 

The officials said it became wide successful caller weeks that the U.S. could bring Brittney Griner location oregon nary 1 astatine all. The Russian's made wide the lone enactment for Griner's merchandise was the speech for Bout. Bout was fixed an enactment of clemency from the president successful bid to beryllium released, but the guilt of his condemnation remains.

Yesterday, a elder U.S. authoritative visited Whelan's sister successful idiosyncratic to stock the quality astir Griner. The officials besides said the president has made wide to the Whelan household that erstwhile they are ready, helium is anxious to personally convey his committedness to Paul's case. Another elder U.S. authoritative besides spoke to Paul from situation to pass him of today's news.

The officials besides thanked erstwhile New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has been moving successful his capableness arsenic a backstage national to facilitate the merchandise of Griner and Whelan.  

The officials said the negotiations with Russia were precise targeted and lone astir bringing wrongfully detained Americans home. They said they besides briefed Ukraine connected the negotiations to marque definite they knew the talks were astir that 1 issue.

One authoritative expressed the deepest appreciation to the UAE for assisting successful facilitating the transfer.

— Gillian Morley

Ambassador John Sullivan, who stepped down arsenic the apical U.S. diplomat successful Moscow successful September, said connected "CBS Mornings" that the talks to escaped Brittney Griner were "extremely hard negotiations," with the Russians focused lone connected freeing Griner successful speech for Bout.

"We're dealing with a authorities that isn't bound by instrumentality oregon morals, our counterparty. It's not a emblematic diplomatic negotiation. And my knowing is that the Russians truly presented the president, President Biden, with a take-it-or-leave it proposition. One for one, it was Brittney," Sullivan said, citing conversations with existent and erstwhile officials. "And unfortunately, we've had to permission different Americans, successful peculiar Paul Whelan."

The ambassador said helium believed the Russians "had successful caput a peculiar woody successful this case, due to the fact that Brittney Griner is specified a celebrity, truthful fashionable successful the United States — popular, I mightiness add, among hoops fans and others successful Russia. Brittney's lawsuit truly dominated the treatment and the focus." 

Sullivan said helium believed the White House and State Department were "turning with a laser absorption on" securing Whelan's release, present that Griner is heading home. 

The ambassador said Griner has astir surely been evaluated by doctors connected her formation backmost to the U.S., and whitethorn not person been alert of her imminent merchandise up of time.

"I'm confident, arsenic we've done successful anterior cases, determination volition beryllium unit connected the level — medical, social, others, who volition beryllium helping Brittney," helium said. "This is an tremendous alteration for her. She whitethorn person known thing astir this transportation until they took her to the airdrome and enactment her connected a plane. You tin ideate what a jarring daze that is." 

The merchandise of Viktor Bout, the planetary arms trader nicknamed the "Merchant of Death," has agelong been a precocious precedence for the Kremlin. Bout, a erstwhile Soviet subject translator, is believed to beryllium close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Western officials accidental Bout's arms trafficking cognition helped substance civilian wars crossed the satellite by supplying much blase weapons, sometimes to some sides of the bloody conflicts.

He was arrested successful a sting by U.S. cause enforcement agents successful Thailand successful 2008. After a lengthy ineligible fight, helium was convicted connected coercion charges for conspiring to termination Americans and sentenced to 25 years successful prison.

"Viktor Bout, successful my eyes, is 1 of the astir unsafe men connected the look of the Earth," Michael Braun, the erstwhile main of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told "60 Minutes" successful 2010. 

According to a New Yorker profile published successful 2012, Bout insisted that helium was ne'er a spy, but others, including his erstwhile concern spouse and a erstwhile CIA officer, said helium had erstwhile worked for the GRU, the Soviet overseas subject quality agency. 

"They volition effort to fastener maine up for life," Bout told The New Yorker earlier his sentencing. "But I'll get backmost to Russia. I don't cognize when. But I'm inactive young." 

Read more here.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said successful a connection that portion the U.S. is celebrating Brittney Griner's release, Paul Whelan and his household "continue to endure needlessly." He echoed Mr. Biden's committedness to the administration's efforts to unafraid Whelan's merchandise from Russian custody.

"Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been consenting to bring a agelong overdue extremity to his wrongful detention," Blinken said. "I wholeheartedly privation we could person brought Paul location contiguous connected the aforesaid level with Brittney. Nevertheless, we volition not relent successful our efforts to bring Paul and each different U.S. nationals held hostage oregon wrongfully detained overseas location to their loved ones wherever they belong.  

David Whelan, the member of Paul Whelan, the 52-year-old Marine seasoned who remains imprisoned successful Russia, says he's blessed Griner is escaped and praised the Biden administration's handling of her release.

"I americium truthful gladsome that Brittney Griner is connected her mode home," helium wrote. "As the household subordinate of a Russian hostage, I tin virtually lone ideate the joyousness she volition have, being reunited with her loved ones, and successful clip for the holidays," adding, "The Biden Administration made the close determination to bring Ms. Griner home, and to marque the woody that was possible, alternatively than waiting for 1 that wasn't going to happen."

He said that the authorities "this time" told the Whelan household successful beforehand that "Paul would beryllium near behind." Whelan's member pointedly noted that Griner's merchandise differed from American Trevor Reed's successful April, erstwhile the Whelan household was not told successful advance.

This time, David Whelan said the "early informing meant that our household has been capable to mentally hole for what is present a nationalist disappointment for us. And a catastrophe for Paul." He went connected to accidental that helium did not cognize whether his member has been made alert of Griner's release, but "he volition surely larn from Russian media." And helium said his parents person spoken with him each time since Dec. 2, and helium expects they volition talk to him soon. 

David Whelan besides said that determination "has ever been a beardown anticipation that 1 mightiness beryllium freed without the other," and reiterated, "It is truthful important to maine that it is wide that we bash not begrudge Ms. Griner her freedom." 

He called connected the U.S. to beryllium much assertive and much nimble, saying it needs "a swifter, much nonstop response," possibly "taking much law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody."  

Read more here.

Lauren Hoenemeyer contributed reporting.

Cherelle Griner, Brittney Griner's wife, said she was "overwhelmed with emotions" and expressed "sincere gratitude" for Mr. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and different nationalist information and State Department officials.

She besides offered acknowledgment to Griner's teammates connected the Phoenix Mercury and the Women's National Basketball Players Association.

"Today my household is whole," she said successful the Oval Office connected Thursday morning.

While celebrating her wife's release, Cherelle Griner said the mates would "remain committed" to moving to escaped different Americans inactive held hostage.

"There are inactive radical retired present who are enduring what I endured the past 9 months of missing tremendously their loved ones," she said. "Today is conscionable a blessed time for maine and my family."

It remains unclear what led to the breakthrough, but the Biden medication made astatine slightest 1 concession by agreeing to trim the swap to 1 American for 1 Russian.

At the extremity of November, the State Department blasted the Russian authorities for a nonaccomplishment to bargain successful bully faith. As precocious arsenic Sunday, connected CBS News "Face the Nation," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said U.S. negotiators were "actively engaged" with their Russian counterparts.

Asked by CBS News astir reports of Russia's tendency for a one-for-one swap successful spite of America's hopes to instrumentality some Griner and Whelan, Blinken noted that immoderate woody would beryllium taxable to communal agreement.

"The different broadside gets a ballot successful this. It's not conscionable what we want. It's what they're prepared to do," Blinken said, without denying the Russian reports. However, helium indicated the medication was continuing to propulsion for the instrumentality of some Americans.

"One mode oregon another, 1 time oregon another, we're going to spot that through," helium said.

In July, the Biden medication said it had offered the Kremlin what it described arsenic a "significant proposal" to bring some American prisoners home. The White House ne'er publically confirmed what the U.S. had offered, but privately, officials indicated to CBS News that archetypal quality reports pointing to the imaginable for lone Bout's merchandise were incorrect, and that the president was prepared to see letting 2 Russian prisoners instrumentality successful speech for some Griner and Whelan's freedom.

President Biden delivered little remarks celebrating Griner's merchandise from Russia, but pledged that his medication remains committed to freeing Paul Whelan from Russian custody, too. 

"It is simply a bully morning," Mr. Biden said. "This is simply a time we've worked toward for a agelong time, we ne'er stopped pushing for her release. We took painstaking and aggravated negotiations."

Flanked by Harris, Blinken and Cherelle Griner, the president offered gratitude to medication officials for their enactment to unafraid Griner's release, arsenic good arsenic the United Arab Emirates for helping to facilitate her return.

Mr. Biden acknowledged the trouble of the months pursuing Griner's apprehension and detention successful February, which helium called "hell," but said she was successful "good spirits" and "relieved" to beryllium heading home. He asked that she beryllium fixed "space, privateness and time" to heal from her detention.

"The information remains that she's mislaid months of her beingness and experienced the needless trauma," helium said.

The president praised Griner's diversion abilities, calling her an "incomparable athlete," and said contempt the mistreatment she endured, she acted with "grit and unthinkable dignity."

"She represents the champion astir America," Mr. Biden said.

The president said that conscionable arsenic his medication did not hide astir Griner, "we've not forgotten astir Paul Whelan."

"This was not a prime of which American to bring home. We brought location Trevor Reed erstwhile we had a accidental earlier this year," Mr. Biden said. "Sadly, for wholly illegitimate reasons, Russia has treated Paul's lawsuit otherwise than Brittney's, and portion we person not yet succeeded successful securing Paul's release, we are not giving up. We volition ne'er springiness up."

The president said his medication has been and remains successful interaction with Whelan's family, and vowed to proceed negotiating for his release.

"I don't privation immoderate American to beryllium wrongfully detained," helium said.

Former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents progressive successful the apprehension of Bout much than a decennary agone told CBS News analogous Catherine Herridge that the Russian arms trader was ever considered a superior menace to U.S. and to planetary security, fixed the planetary scope of his weapons deals. The erstwhile agents said bringing him to justness was a herculean effort that spanned 3 continents. After helium was yet caught and extradited from Thailand, helium was convicted connected charges including conspiring to termination Americans. 

Another erstwhile DEA cause told CBS News successful a substance message, "This volition harm the deterrence and consequences of committing crimes against the United States knowing they person this method present of negotiating to get killers and criminals retired of serving their sentences successful the US." The cause besides said that organized transgression groups would "continue to perpetrate harm against US citizens."

And 1 different DEA cause said the commercialized was "terrible for our regularisation of instrumentality and conscionable reduced our transgression trials to trivial governmental stunts."

Bout has ever been a precocious precedence for Putin, 1 erstwhile U.S. authoritative told CBS News, owed not lone to his inheritance and precocious profile, but besides due to the fact that of his idiosyncratic closeness to the Russian leader.

Prior to his arrest, Bout was accused by the U.N. of arming Liberian President Charles Taylor during the brutal civilian warfare successful Sierra Leone. He served arsenic the inspiration for Nicholas Cage's quality successful the movie "Lord of War." Bout's merchandise is definite to spark disapproval from immoderate of the DEA agents who tracked and arrested him.   

— Tucker Reals, Catherine Herridge and Andy Triay

Bring Our Families Home, a run by household members of American hostages, applauded the merchandise of Griner but reiterated its telephone for Mr. Biden to bring Whelan backmost to the U.S.

"We observe the agelong overdue instrumentality of Brittney Griner and her harmless instrumentality location to her wife, family,  teammates, and the WNBPA who fought for her relentlessly. While we observe Brittney's homecoming, our hearts interruption for the Whelan family," Jonathan Franks, the group's spokesperson, said successful a statement. "Paul Whelan has been fto down and near down astatine slightest 3 times by 2 Presidents. He deserves amended from his government, and our Campaign implores President Biden to urgently unafraid Paul's contiguous instrumentality utilizing each tools available."