Biden: 'This Was Not a Choice of Which American To Bring Home'

Biden: “Moments ago standing together with Cherelle in the Oval Office, I spoke with Brittney Griner. She’s safe. She’s on a plane, she’s on her way home. After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under untolerable [sic] circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along."

BIDEN: “We never forgot about Brittney. We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who has been unjustly detained in Russia for years. This was not a choice of which American to bring home. We brought on Trevor Reed when we had a chance earlier this year. 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. We will never give up, but remain in close touch with Paul’s family, the Whelan family, and my thoughts and prayers are with them today. They have to have such mixed emotions today."