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Brittney Griner backmost connected US ungraded aft spending 294 days successful Russian prison
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Brittney Griner has landed backmost connected US ungraded for the archetypal clip successful 10 months aft she was released from Russian custody successful a captive swap with “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout.
The WNBA prima arrived astatine the Brooke Army Medical Center successful San Antonio aboriginal connected Friday morning, wherever she volition beryllium examined and person immoderate indispensable aesculapian treatment.
Footage showed Ms Griner and Bout being exchanged connected the tarmac of a runway successful the UAE connected Thursday, pursuing weeks of negotiations betwixt Washington and Moscow.
The woody failed to see US Marine Paul Whelan who has been detained successful Russia for the past 4 years. Mr Whelan told CNN helium was “greatly disappointed” to larn helium was not portion of the captive swap, saying: “I don’t recognize wherefore I’m inactive sitting here.”
President Joe Biden insisted connected Thursday that “we’ve not forgotten astir Paul Whelan” and vowed to “never springiness up” securing his release, arsenic the swap divided sentiment crossed the country. The White House was besides forced to contradict claims made by Saudi Arabia and the UAE that MBS negotiated the deal.
‘Merchant of Death’ Viktor Bout says the West wants Russia to crumble
Viktor Bout, a notorious arms dealer, was released this week successful a captive speech betwixt the US and Russia for erstwhile WNBA prima Brittney Griner. After his merchandise helium shared his views astir his captors with Russian media, according to the Associated Press.
“The West believes that it has failed to decorativeness america disconnected erstwhile the Soviet Union began to collapse,” Bout said. “And our efforts to unrecorded independently, beryllium an autarkic powerfulness is simply a daze to them.”
Russian authorities media hailed Bout’s return.
“Everyone volition hide astir Griner tomorrow,” Yevgeny Popov, a Russian authorities media host, wrote connected Telegram connected Thursday. “Bout’s beingness is lone beginning.”
Graig Graziosi9 December 2022 16:46
Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters connected Friday successful the aftermath of Brittney Griner’s merchandise that much captive swaps with the US whitethorn beryllium imaginable successful the future.
According to the Associated Press, Mr Putin said that “everything is possible” erstwhile asked if determination whitethorn beryllium much captive exchanges successful the future.
“We aren’t refusing to proceed this enactment successful the future,” helium said.
It’s unclear what that whitethorn mean successful for Paul Whelan, an American who has been locked up successful Russia since 2018. The White House pushed for his merchandise alongside Griner’s, but reports bespeak Russia was not consenting to merchandise Mr Whelan.
Joe Biden said helium would “never springiness up” trying to unafraid Mr Whelan’s release.
Read much successful the Independent Premium communicative below...
Graig Graziosi9 December 2022 16:20
Pentagon admits it has ‘concerns’ implicit merchandise of ‘Merchant of Death’
An unnamed Pentagon authoritative said determination are immoderate concerns wrong the defence bureau regarding the merchandise of Viktor Bout, the “Merchant of Death” arms dealer, backmost into the world.
Bout was freed by the US arsenic portion of a captive swap to unafraid the merchandise of Brittney Griner.
“I deliberation determination is simply a interest that helium would instrumentality to doing the aforesaid benignant of enactment that he’s done successful the past,” an unnamed Defense Department authoritative told Politico.
Read much astatine The Independent below.
Graig Graziosi9 December 2022 15:56
Putin says aboriginal prisoners swaps possible
Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters connected Friday successful the aftermath of Brittney Griner’s merchandise that much captive swaps with the US whitethorn beryllium imaginable successful the future.
According to the Associated Press, Mr Putin said that “everything is possible” erstwhile asked if determination whitethorn beryllium much captive exchanges successful the future.
“We aren’t refusing to proceed this enactment successful the future,” helium said.
It’s unclear what that whitethorn mean successful for Paul Whelan, an American who has been locked up successful Russia since 2018. The White House pushed for his merchandise alongside Griner’s, but reports bespeak Russia was not consenting to merchandise Mr Whelan.
Joe Biden said helium would “never springiness up” trying to unafraid Mr Whelan’s release.
Graig Graziosi9 December 2022 15:32
A past of US-Russian captive swaps
The captive commercialized that saw Brittney Griner released from Russian custody is the latest successful a lengthy past of captive exchanges going backmost decades betwixt the erstwhile Cold War adversaries.
These at-times daring transactions are often the effect of aggravated backmost transmission negotiations, arsenic imprisoned citizens go pawns successful a broader geopolitical war.
Bevan Hurley9 December 2022 15:10
WATCH: Moment Brittney Griner lands backmost connected US soil
Brittney Griner landed backmost connected US ungraded for the archetypal clip successful 10 months aft she was released from Russian custody successful a captive swap with “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout.
A level carrying the WNBA prima landed astatine the Brooke Army Medical Center successful San Antonio astatine astir 5.30am ET connected Friday morning.
Watch the infinitesimal she arrived backmost connected US ungraded here.
Brittney Griner backmost connected US ungraded aft spending 294 days successful Russian prison
Bevan Hurley9 December 2022 14:47
Former Russian spy Maria Butina claims captive swap shows Moscow successful ‘position of strength’
Former Russian spy Maria Butina has claimed that the captive swap of Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout shows Moscow is successful a “position of strength”.
On Thursday, Ms Butina celebrated the merchandise of Bout – a convicted arms trader known arsenic the “Merchant of Death” who was serving a 25-year situation condemnation successful the US connected a litany of charges, including conspiracy to termination Americans.
“The information that Russia pushed done the speech of Bout, whom America fundamentally did not privation to springiness distant for galore years, close present means that, similar successful The Godfather, we ‘made them an connection that cannot beryllium refused,’” she said.
“This is simply a presumption of strength, comrades.”
Ms Butina herself served 15 months successful a US situation connected conspiracy charges.
Rachel Sharp9 December 2022 14:25
Trump turned down Paul Whelan and Viktor Bout captive swap years ago, John Bolton says
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has revealed that Donald Trump turned down the accidental to unafraid Paul Whelan’s merchandise years agone – contempt the erstwhile president claiming to beryllium outraged implicit the Biden administration’s woody which freed Brittney Griner but near the US marine inactive successful Russian custody.
Mr Bolton, who was the nationalist information advisor nether Mr Trump for 17 months from 2018 to 2019, told CBS that the Trump medication had the accidental to commercialized Mr Whelan for convicted arms trader Viktor Bout successful 2018.
“The anticipation of a Bout-for-Whelan commercialized existed backmost past and it wasn’t made, for precise bully reasons having to woody with Viktor Bout,” helium said.
Mr Whelan, a US, Canadian, British and Irish national who served successful the US Marines from 2003 to 2008, was arrested successful Russia successful December 2018.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the afloat story:
Rachel Sharp9 December 2022 14:05
Pentagon admits interest that Viktor Bout volition instrumentality to dealing arms
The Pentagon has admitted that US officials are acrophobic Viktor Bout volition instrumentality to dealing arms pursuing his merchandise connected Thursday.
A elder Defense Department authoritative told Politico that the Biden medication is fearful that Bout could instrumentality to his past of illegally trafficking weapons – thing that could airs a information to America.
“I deliberation determination is simply a interest that [he] would instrumentality to doing the aforesaid benignant of enactment that he’s done successful the past,” the anonymous authoritative said.
Bout is simply a notorous arms trader who earned the nickname the “Merchant of Death”.
At the clip of his merchandise connected Thursday, helium was successful the mediate of a 25-year condemnation successful a US situation connected aggregate charges including conspiring to termination Americans.
Rachel Sharp9 December 2022 13:45
Brittney Griner’s household acknowledgment Biden for release
Brittney Griner’s household has relased a connection thanking President Joe Biden for her merchandise from Russian custody.
“We would similar to widen our sincere gratitude to President Biden and his medication for the tireless enactment they did to bring Brittney home,” it reads.
“We would besides similar to widen a peculiar convey you to Governor Richardson and Mickey Bergman of the Richardson Center for their work, arsenic good arsenic remaining successful changeless connection with us.”
The household went connected to convey Paul Whelan and his household for their enactment arsenic they anticipation that helium excessively volition beryllium released soon.
“We sincerely convey you each for the benignant words, thoughts and prayers — including Paul and the Whelan household who person been generous with their enactment for Brittney and our household during what we cognize is simply a heartbreaking time. We commune for Paul and for the swift and harmless instrumentality of each wrongfully-detained Americans,” the connection read.
“We inquire that you respect our privateness arsenic we embark connected this roadworthy to healing. The Griner Family”
Rachel Sharp9 December 2022 13:25
English (US)