White House counters Saudi claim on Brittney Griner negotiations, says talks were between US, Russia

The White Home on Thursday seemed to set the file straight on who was chargeable for the negotiations that secured WNBA star Brittney Griner’s secure return from Russia: Washington and Moscow.

“This negotiation was between the U.S. authorities and Russia, and that is how we have been in a position to safe Brittney’s launch,” White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre advised reporters.

However when pressed on feedback made by a U.S. safety official on background earlier Thursday who thanked the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for his or her position in her return, Jean-Pierre doubled down.

White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds the each day information convention on the White Home on Dec. 8, 2022.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs)

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“The one international locations that negotiated this deal have been the US and Russia,” she mentioned, including that “there was no mediation concerned” by both Saudi Arabia or the UAE.

Questions over Griner’s launch mounted earlier within the day after each nations launched a joint assertion during which they claimed to have led “mediation” efforts between the U.S. and Russia.

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A Russian court docket discovered Brittney Griner responsible of smuggling and storing narcotics after prosecutors requested a sentence of 9 and a half years in jail for the athlete.
(Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)

“UAE, Saudi Ministries of International Affairs introduced the success of the mediation led by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” UAE state-run information company WAM posted in an announcement to Twitter.

The White Home press secretary mentioned she had nothing to say in regard to the joint assertion and reiterated feedback made by President Joe Biden earlier within the day.

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President Joe Biden speaks concerning the launch of Olympian and WNBA participant Brittney Griner from Russian custody on the White Home on Dec. 8, 2022, in Washington.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs)

“We’re grateful for the UAE, because the president talked about, as I’m mentioning now, for facilitating using their territory for the change to happen,” Jean-Pierre mentioned in reference to the UAE’s assist in receiving Griner by non-public jet from Moscow earlier than she then departed for the U.S. 

“We’re additionally grateful to different international locations, together with Saudi Arabia, that launched the difficulty of our wrongfully detained People with a Russian authorities,” she added. “However in relation to her launch, it was between the U.S. authorities and Russia.”