According to the Associated Press, the U.S. traded a Marine veteran jailed in Moscow for a convicted Russian drug trafficker who was serving a lengthy prison sentence in America.

Trevor Reed, a U.S. citizen and former Marine, had been detained in Russia since 2019. Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot, was serving a 20-year federal prison sentence in Connecticut for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. He was arrested in Liberia in 2010 and then extradited to the U.S.

The latest negotiation between the U.S. and Russia comes at a time when the European country continues to engage in war with Ukraine. Despite the war causing further divide between Russia and the U.S., the two countries worked out a deal to release the prisoners.

Griner, as Blavity previously reported, was detained at an airport in Russia on Feb. 17 for allegedly being in possession of the THC-laden drug hash oil. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison.

Aron Solomon, chief legal analyst for Esquire Digital, told Blavity that Reed’s release is not an indication for Griner’s possible release.

“It’s bad news for Brittney Griner,” Solomon told Blavity.

The legal analyst referenced the case of Paul Whelan, the Michigan businessman who remains in a Russian labor camp, serving out a 16-year sentence after being charged with espionage, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“Paul Whelan has been detained in Russia for close to four years. While the Reed release is great news for him and his family, it’s conceivable that Russia sees a superstar athlete as having much higher intrinsic value for them than a marine (and much less value [than] Whelan, a former security consultant),” Solomon said.

He added that the responsibility for Griner’s detention, according to Solomon, “is a shared one between herself, the U.S. government, and the relevant basketball leagues (the WNBA and the Russian league).”