Russia Reportedly Wanted Spy in Germany for Whelan

Russia reportedly was interested in trading American Paul Whelan as part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. for a Russian spy currently serving time in Germany.

In August, CNN reported that Russia told U.S. officials they wanted Vadim Krasikov, who used to work as a colonel in Russia's domestic spy agency, to be part of a prisoner exchange involving Whelan and WNBA player Brittney Griner. Krasikov's name was reportedly added to that of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was ultimately traded by the U.S. on Thursday to secure Griner's release.

As negotiations surrounding the prisoner swap continued, Russia said it would not release Whelan without Krasikov also being released, according to CNN.

Krasikov is currently serving time in Germany. He was convicted last year on murder charges and is now serving a life sentence, the network reported.

German officials told CNN the U.S. had asked if it would be possible to include Krasikov in the deal, even as American officials brought forth other prisoners for Russia's consideration. The deal that moved forward on Thursday only included Griner and Bout, though U.S. officials said Friday that they are still "actively working" on negotiating terms for Whelan's release.

Griner's Coach to Allow Her Time to Recover

Brittney Griner's Phoenix basketball family shared their reaction to the WNBA star finally returning home to the Untied States after months in Russian custody.

Griner's team, the Phoenix Mercury, said Dec. 8, 2022 is "a day that will always have a special place in our hearts."

Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard told CNN that the news of Griner's release was unexpected but a "wonderful relief and total joy."

Nygaard said the team missed Griner "every day" and will allow her time to recover.

"Mental health is very important in our league as well as maybe the physical conditions she's been under," she said. "We want to support her, give her the space she needs and make sure she's feeling OK. When she's ready, we're ready to celebrate with her."

Nygaard added that the team will support Griner "if she chooses to continue to play," but added that "this isn't really the time" to discuss that.

"We're just glad she's back, we're just so happy she's reunited with her family and we get to move forward," she said. "And her health and her safety is the most important thing."

The NBA's Phoenix Suns also shared their gratitude that Griner was free.

"Everyone's been praying about it for a while now and I can only imagine the relief for her family," Chris Paul said. "Some things are bigger than the game, bigger than basketball."

Griner's alma mater, Baylor University, also expressed it's happiness in her return.

In a joint statement, President Linda Livingstone and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades said they are "extremely grateful" that Griner is home."

Baylor's Women's Basketball Coach Nicki Collen said the team was "thrilled and relieved" upon learning about Griner's release.

"Today is the day we've been praying for, and we will continue to pray as she reunited with her family and begins recovering from her experience," Collen said.

US 'Actively Working' to Free Paul Whelan

The U.S. is "actively working" on negotiations to secure the release of American Paul Whelan from imprisonment in Russia, U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said Friday.

Kirby discussed Whelan during appearances he made on several major news networks after WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from Russia in a prisoner swap, in which the U.S. traded Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner.

President Joe Biden's administration has been working "for months" on negotiations to bring both Griner and Whelan back to the U.S., Kirby told MSNBC's Morning Joe.

"That was the goal: To get them both," he said. "But it became very apparent, certainly late last week, that the only deal possible was Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout."

Kirby said communication channels with Russia regarding negotiations for Whelan's release are "still open."

"We are actively working to try to get Paul home," he said. "They treated him very differently, based on the sham espionage charges that they levied against him. They put him in a special category that just made it impossible, at this moment, for us to get both of them home."

During an appearance on the Today Show, Kirby said the U.S. is "going to keep having active discussions with the Russians to see what we can do" to negotiate Whelan's release.

"That's not going to be forgotten; that's not going to be something that's not top of mind," Kirby said. "We're going to keep working at it."

Elon Musk Says a Marine Should 'Never' be Left Behind

Twitter CEO Elon Musk took to the social media platform to express his opinion on the Biden administration's prisoner swap with Russia.

Musk responded to a tweet asking, "Does it surprise anyone the Biden regime would leave a Marine behind after they abandoned Americans in Afghanistan."

The tweet has 15.5k retweets, 82.1k likes and over 3,600 replies.

One of those replies was from Musk.

"Never leave a marine behind," he wrote. "Never."

That marine is Paul Whelan, who remains in Russian custody.

The White House has said the deal with Russia was Griner or no one and said Friday that will continue to "work very hard to bring Paul Whelan home."

Griner Cut Her Hair Amid Cold Russian Winter

Brittney Griner cut her hair while she was detained in Russia due to the cold winter conditions, her lawyer said.

After video was released of Griner's prisoner swap Thursday, it was apparent that she looked different than she did when she was first detained in Russia back in February.

Griner wore locs for the entirety of her trial and appeal before heading to a Russian penal colony.

Maria Blagovolina, one of Griner's two Russian lawyers, told ESPN that her locs were cut two Sundays ago.

According to Blagovolina, it was Griner's decision to make the cold weather more tolerable. Griner likely expected she would remain in Russian custody for much longer that a few weeks.

"It's very cold in there and every time she washed her hair she got cold and would get a chill," she said. "She should have waited until New Year's Day."

Kari Lake Responds to Griner's Release

Kari Lake, the former Republican gubernatorial candidate in Arizona, suggested she would have waited for a "more level" prisoner swap when asked Thursday about the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner.

"Why do I have a feeling, if President Trump were in office, it would have been handled so much better," Lake said during an appearance on "Louder with Crowder," the show hosted by conservative commentator Steven Crowder.

Lake said the conditions Griner faced in a Russian penal colony "looked horrible," adding, "they look like they keep their prisoners in a cage."

Lake then suggested she would have refused release if she had been involved in a similar prisoner exchange.

"If you told me, 'We're going to release you for this guy,' I would maybe say, 'You know what? Let me stay a little bit longer. Keep working on that negotiation; let's see if we can find something a little bit more level," Lake told Crowder.

Russia released Griner Thursday after she was detained for nearly 10 months in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was serving time in the U.S. The prisoner swap has been criticized by some in the U.S. who asked why Paul Whelan, another American who remains imprisoned in Russia, was not part of the deal. Thursday's prisoner swap has also been criticized due to Bout's involvement.

The White House said the choice they faced was "either Brittney or no one" and that President Joe Biden's administration continues "working very hard" to secure Whelan's release.

Griner 'Appears to Be in Good Health,' WH Says

WNBA player Brittney Griner returned to the U.S. on Friday in what seemed to be "good health" following a prisoner swap that ended her nearly 10 months of detainment in Russia, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Jean-Pierre was asked about Griner's return during a Friday afternoon press briefing. Jean-Pierre confirmed that Griner landed in San Antonio, Texas, earlier Friday and was "immediately" taken to the Brook Army Medical Center.

"She has been reunited with her wife, Cherelle," Jean-Pierre said. "U.S. officials who met her on the ground said she was in very good spirits, appears to be in good health."

Griner will be offered "a range of support options" at the army medical facility, Jean-Pierre said. Among the support offered to most people who arrive at the facility are full medical and mental health checkups, she said, adding that the medical support Griner will be offered will be "voluntary."

Griner can return home after leaving the facility. "They'll take as much time as they need," Jean-Pierre said of Griner and her family.

The U.S. "realized about a week or two ago" that Russia was ready to negotiate terms for Griner's release, Jean-Pierre said. Russia was "not negotiating in good faith when it came to Paul [Whelan]," she said, adding that the U.S. had the choice of "either Brittney or no one."

Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden's administration is "working very hard" to negotiate terms for the release of Whelan, who remains in Russian detention.

NBC Corrects Report That US Chose Griner Over Whelan

NBC News corrected a report detailing the prisoner swap deal made between the U.S. and Russia after initially writing that the Biden administration had a choice between WNBA player Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan.

The report, published at 9:27 a.m. Thursday, first said that Russia gave the U.S. a choice between either American prisoner.

According to a screenshot of the original report, a senior U.S. official told NBC News the Biden administration wanted to have both Griner and Whelan as part of the prisoner swap with Russia in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.

But the Kremlin has treated Whalen differently because he is accused of being a spy, the official said.

In the first version of the report, NBC News said Russia "gave the White House the choice of either Griner or Whalen or none."

A correction was then issued at 4:08 p.m.

"An earlier version of this article misstated the choice the Biden administration was given over hostages. It was to swap for Griner or no one, not a choice between Griner or Whelan," the correction said.

Now, the report said Russia "gave the White House the choice of Griner or no one after different options were proposed."

When President Joe Biden announced the swap Thursday morning, said this "was not a choice of which American to bring home."

"Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up," he told reporters.

This comes amid criticism of Biden over the terms of the deal. Many conservatives expressed their frustration that the U.S. released a dangerous arms dealer Viktor Bout and left a Marine behind.

During a press briefing Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about how the Biden administration will "dispel the public perception that if you are a celebrity or a professional athlete, you get preferential treatment."

Jean-Pierre said this swap "was not a choice for us of which American to bring home."

"It was a choice between bringing home one American or bringing home none. And we brought one home today, and that is important to note," she said.

She added that the U.S. "made every possible offer available to us to secure Paul's release, but there was no way to bring Paul home right now."

"We would have preferred, of course — of course, we'd have preferred to see them both released," Jean-Pierre said. "But we did not want to lose the opportunity before us to secure the release of one of them. And so that was the choice: one or none, and not 'which one.' It was either none or one."

Conservative lawmakers have blasted Biden for what they view as a bad deal.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said leaving Whelan behind for the "Merchant of Death" is "unconscionable."

Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida said leaving Whelan behind and freeing Bout is "unforgivable."

Russian state media and U.S. right-wing media have also asserted that the Biden administration prioritized Griner's release over Whelan's based on identity.

The Daily Beast's Julia Davis shared a translated clip from RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan saying the United States chose a "black lesbian, hooked on drugs," over a "decorated Marine covered in medals" whose "three problems" are that "he is white," "he is a man," and "he is a heterosexual.

Newsmax host Greg Kelly said that Whelan is devalued "in the court of public opinion" because "he's straight, he's white, and he's a man. And also, this is key, he's not famous. That's bad for him."

Tucker Carlson said on his Fox News show that the White House choice Griner over Whelan because Griner is "not white and she's a lesbian."

Newsweek has reached out to NBC News for comment.

WATCH: Biden Tells Wife Griner Is 'On the Ground'

President Joe Biden shared a video on social media Thursday night in which he told Brittney Griner's wife that the WNBA star was "on the ground" following a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia.

"She's on the ground," Biden tells Cherelle Griner in the video, which was filmed in the Oval Office.

"Stop it," Cherelle Griner says in response while smiling.

"Yep, she's on the ground," Biden says. Cherelle Griner then gives Biden a hug.

They are next seen in the video at Biden's desk. Standing nearby are Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"It's just such a good day," Cherelle Griner says while laughing.

Brittney Griner was flown from Moscow to the United Arab Emirates, where the prisoner exchange took place on Thursday. The U.S. traded Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for her release. She was then flown to Texas, where she landed Friday morning.

The White House said Biden spoke with Brittney Griner while her wife was beside him in the Oval Office.

"She's safe. She's on a plane. She's on her way home," Biden said in remarks released by the White House.

Pentagon Concerned About Viktor Bout Release

The Pentagon expressed some "concern" that Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout could return to his illicit business dealing in Africa after his release from U.S. custody.

Bout was returned to Russia in a prisoner swap for American WNBA star Brittney Griner.

"I think there is a concern that he would return to doing the same kind of work that he's done in the past," a senior Defense Department told reporters Thursday.

Bout was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles and provide material support to a terrorist organization.

The Pentagon official said the Defense Department will continue working with African partners to assess current risk factors related to international arms trade.

"There are a number of actors out there who have influence in the Russian oligarchy," the official said. "We will continue to work with African partners so that they understand the risks and the threats of the people that they're working with and the organizations that they're working with."

Putin Suggests More Prisoner Swaps 'Possible'

Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters Friday that Russia is open to discussions about additional prisoner swaps with the U.S.

Putin was asked about the possibility of future prisoner exchanges while answering questions from reporters during what his office described as a "working visit" to Kyrgyzstan. The question came one day after the swap of American WNBA player Brittney Griner for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Putin told reporters that "everything is possible" and mentioned the "compromises" that were made to secure the Griner-Bout exchange, according to the Associated Press.

"We aren't refusing to continue this work in the future," Putin said.

Griner's release came nearly 10 months after she was detained in Russia on drug charges. She was transferred to a Russian penal colony last month to begin her nine-year sentence.

President Joe Biden's administration has said U.S. officials negotiated with Russia for months in an attempt to secure the release of Griner and Paul Whelan, another American who was detained in Russia in 2018. Whelan remains imprisoned in Russia.

Griner Arrives Back in U.S.

WNBA player Brittney Griner arrived back on U.S. soil early Friday morning after being detained in Russia for months.

Griner arrived in San Antonio, TX at around 4:30 a.m. Friday.

"So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!" Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens tweeted moments later.

Griner was then taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for a "routine evaluation," a State Department official confirmed to CNN.

"The U.S. government is focused on ensuring that Brittney Griner and her family's well-being are prioritized and that all assistance available be offered in an appropriate manner," the official said.