Biden on Brittney Griner's release: 'She's safe. She's on a plane. She's on her way home'

President Biden announced on Thursday morning that Brittney Griner, the WNBA athlete who had been detained in Russia since February, has been released and is on her way back to the U.S.

Video Transcript

JOE BIDEN: Well, good morning, folks. And it is a good morning.

Moments ago standing together with her wife, 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 intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones. And she should have been there all along.

This is a day we've worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations. And I want to thank all the hard-working public servants across my administration who worked tirelessly to secure her release.

I also want to thank the UAE for helping us facilitate Brittney's return, because that's where she landed. These past few months have been hell for Brittany and for Cherelle. And her entire family. And all her teammates back home.

People all across the country have learned about Brittney's story, advocated for her release, stood with her throughout this terrible ordeal. And I know that support meant a lot to her family.

I'm glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits. She-- she's relieved to finally be heading home. And the fact remains that she's lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma. And she deserves space, privacy, and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.