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

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….}