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Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul released a statement following news that Brittney Griner will be released by the Putin regime in a prisoner swap for dangerous arms dealer Viktor Bout. 

“I am relieved that Ms. Griner will be returned home safely. However, trading Viktor Bout – a dangerous convicted arms dealer who was in prison for conspiring to kill Americans – will only embolden Vladimir Putin to continue his evil practice of taking innocent Americans hostage for use as political pawns. Moreover, my heart breaks for Paul Whelan and other wrongfully detained Americans in Russia. They must not be forgotten.”

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