White House Denies Saudi Arabia Helped Mediate Brittney Griner’s Release

President Joe Biden (center L) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) arrive for the family photo during the "GCC+3" (Gulf Cooperation Council) meeting at a hotel in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on July 16, 2022. Mandel Ngan/Pool Photo via AP

The Biden administration has said that the release of WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner from a Russian penal colony was negotiated only between the United States and Russia and there was no involvement from Saudi Arabia.

Griner, 32, was released by Russian authorities in a prisoner swap on Dec. 8, which saw her exchanged for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, 55, who was serving a 25-year sentence.

In a joint statement at the time of her release, the United Arab Emirates president and Saudi crown prince praised the “success of joint Emirati–Saudi mediation” regarding the release and exchange of the two prisoners.

During a White House press conference on Dec. 8, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked by reporters whether the Biden administration is thanking Saudi for its alleged role in the negotiations, but she quickly shot down the idea.

“The only countries that negotiated this deal were the United States and Russia,” Jean-Pierre said. “There was no mediation involved.”

“We are grateful for the UAE for facilitating the use of their territory for the exchange to take place. We are also grateful to other countries, including Saudi Arabia, that released [sic] the issue of our wrongfully detained Americans with Russian government—that raised that issue,” she added. “But when it comes to her release, it was between the U.S. government and Russia.”

Cherelle Griner (L), wife of Brittney Griner, speaks at the White House in Washington on Dec. 8, 2022. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

UAE, Saudi Praise ‘Joint Mediation Efforts’

In their joint statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia claimed that the negotiations had been led by the UAE’s Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

“The ministries said the success of the mediation efforts was a reflection of the mutual and solid friendship between their two countries and the United States of America and the Russian Federation,” the statement read. “They also highlighted the important role played by the leaderships of the two brotherly countries in promoting dialogue between all parties.”

Griner’s exchange with Bout took place in the UAE at Abu Dhabi airport, according to officials.

According to the joint statement on Thursday, the swap took place “in the presence of specialists from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”

“The UAE and Saudi Arabian foreign ministries expressed the thanks of their respective governments to the governments of the U.S. and Russia for their cooperation and response, and for the joint mediation efforts made by the leaderships of the two countries,” the statement added.

A file photo of convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout who U.S. officials have called “the merchant of death.” He is alleged to have overseen the world's biggest private arms dealing network. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images

Griner Exchanged for ‘Merchant of Death’

Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Mercury team.

The sports star had been playing in Russia during the league’s offseason but was arrested on Feb. 17—just days before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine—at a Moscow airport after officials found her in possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia.

She was later sentenced to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs.

Bout has been dubbed the “Merchant of Death,” and was one of the most wanted men in the world before his arrest in 2008 on multiple charges related to arms trafficking to rebel groups and warlords in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Announcing Griner’s release, President Joe Biden said he had spoken to the WNBA player and that she was “safe.”

“This is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release,” Biden said, adding that it took “painstaking and intense negotiations.”

Biden made no mention of Saudi but thanked the UAE for helping to facilitate Griner’s return, noting that “that’s where she landed.”

Reuters contributed to this report.