Biden Calls Brittney Griner's Wife to Pledge Work on Her Release From Russia

President Joe Biden telephoned Cherelle Griner, the wife of detained WNBA player Brittney Griner, on Wednesday to assure her he is working to secure Griner's freedom as soon as possible, the White House said.

The call came after the White House received a handwritten letter from Brittney Griner on Monday. In it, she said she feared being held in Russia indefinitely and urged Biden not to "forget about me and the other American Detainees."

In a statement, the White House said Biden also wants to see the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and elsewhere. It added that he read Cherelle Griner a draft of a letter he was sending to Brittney Griner the same day. Biden offered the family his support and pledged "all possible assistance" as the administration pursues steps toward her release, according to the statement.

Griner has been held in Russia for four months. She was arrested on Feb. 17 as she returned to play for her Russian team, and is accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. Her trial began last week and is set to resume Thursday.

The odds in Russian courts are steep. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and, unlike in U.S. courts, acquittals can be overturned.

Griner's family has pressed the administration more forcefully in recent days, speaking publicly about her case. Cherelle Griner gave several television interviews and said she did not believe the government was doing enough to bring her wife home. On "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday, she called it "disheartening" that she had not heard from Biden during the detention.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced repeated questions about Griner at her briefing Tuesday. She said Biden had read the letter but declined to describe his reaction, saying only, "This is very personal to him." She did not say whether Biden planned to speak with the family, but noted that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken had both recently spoken with Cherelle Griner.

Representatives for Brittney Griner shared excerpts of the letter on Monday. "As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I'm terrified I might be here forever," she wrote.

The letter reached the White House on the Fourth of July, a day Griner described as special to her family. The Phoenix Mercury center wrote that the family normally honors the service of those who fought for the country's freedom, including her father, a Vietnam War veteran. "It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year," she wrote.