Foreign ER is on her way back to the U.S after a Prisoner swap that you know the Biden Administration has been Negotiating for all this time since she Was uh was arrested in Russia for having Some hash uh in a vape pen Um they and then she's been held since Then and we've been saying this all year She's been a political prisoner sure the The sentence that she got was far too Too large for what she did And this was about Russia wanting Something and they got it this morning As we swapped uh Brittany Greiner uh the U.S guy Brittany Greiner and Victor bout Uh a man who's has earned the nickname The Merchant of death was given back to Russia so right now Britney is on her Way back here by the way her wife was at The White House this morning next to President Biden and vice president Harris and this is what she had to say About Brittany coming home there is Some mixed emotion about this and you're Going to hear her wife sort of touch on That G's not here to say this but I will Gladly speak on her behalf and say that BG and I will remain committed to the Work of getting every American Home Including Paul whose family is in our Hearts today as we celebrate BG being Home we do understand that there are Still people out here who are enduring
What I endured the last nine months of Missing tremendously their loved ones so Thank you everybody for your support Um and today it's just a happy day for Me and my family so I'm going to smell Right now Um thank you yeah so that's the uh if There is controversy or that that's what The controversy is so Paul Whelan is a Retired United States Marine who was in 2018 was locked up on an Espionage Charge which of course he denies he says He never committed a crime but that's Why he is in prison and he's serving Almost a two decade long sentence so a Lot of people believe hey why was Paul Whelan not included in this deal the United States government has said look We tried to do a two-for-one but Russia Insisted on a one-to-one trade Brittany Griner for Victor bout so their you know The United States position is we tried Our best so we took the deal that was Available to us but for a lot of people That that is not acceptable as a matter Of fact Paul Whelan had a phone Interview with CNN recently and he said That he was disappointed in President Biden that that he was not released so You know by the way we are going to get More into the Paul wheel inside of this Case and and what Um happens and what what are the risks In doing these sort of prisoner swaps a
Little bit later in the show but for This moment I mean clearly you could Hear it on her wipes you could see it on Her face you could hear it in her voice The joy of having her back Um this has been A really difficult time obviously for Her and I think the bite Administration Felt like they needed to make this Happen for sure because there's been a Lot of people thought that uh like they Had forgotten about it like you know the The news had died down a bit it's been Some months we had seen that she had Been transferred over to another side of Like the prison this penal colony That Was supposed to be a horrible like Working condition a living condition so I think a lot of people thought like you Know we were just going to watch this Play out and she wasn't going to make it Back home and then if you ask me I think That whole transferring her to the penal Colony showing her the last time she had A a court hearing they showed her behind Bars I think all that was done by again She was a political prisoner don't you Know call it what you want that's what It was and that was done to increase Pressure on the Biden Administration to Make this swap but I think that was Russia played that the way they exactly As they they wanted to get to get this Result
Um and the administration makes it clear Too that the circumstances are different It's not like they just forgot about Paul because Brittany you know what I Mean was it more at the Forefront or Whatever the case may be but the Circumstances were different and they're Not going to give up and by the way I Also think that that was part of Russia's plan to uh create this divide To have people to make this a a Situation where there are mixed emotions About Brittany Greiner being released Was she released just because she's a Celebrity and that they're going to be People who are very upset that Paul Wheelen is still there so Um If you on on the whole here you might Say Russia won this but you can't help But feel the joy that that Britney's Family is feeling today Brittany herself She's on her way and Brittany I'll be on The plane right now as we're speaking Hi Bree here from Houston and I just Want to say that I do agree she was a Political Um Pawn in Russia's game and I'm just Glad she's home especially as a black Woman myself but I do agree that in a Sense Russia got what they want but Again I'm still glad that Britney is Home and that she made it yeah I had to Say you can't take that Joy away from
From Britney or her family not at all it Seems like her wife isn't going to let You either she said I'm a smile today Yeah and I understand that Foreign
