>> AND I'M STEPHANIE RAMOS. WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE. THE MAJOR BREAKING NEWS THIS AFTERNOON, WNBA STAR BRITTNEY GRINER HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM A RUSSIAN PRISON. PRESIDENT BIDEN MAKING THAT ANNOUNCEMENT THIS MORNING AT THE WHITE HOUSE. YOU SEE HIM THERE WITH GRINER'S WIFE THERE RIGHT BEHIND HIM ALONGSIDE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. >> THAT SWAP TAKING PLACE AT THE AIRPORT IN ABU DHABI. GRINER EXCHANGED FOR A U.S. PRISONER, VIKTOR BOUT. GRINER'S WIFE CHERELLE THANKING THE MEMBERS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND OTHERS WHO SECURED HER WIFE'S RELEASE. >> LET'S GO TO WASHINGTON NOW TO ABC'S SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT MARY BRUCE WITH THE VERY LATEST ON THIS. MARY, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? >> Reporter: A LOT OF HAPPY SIGHS OF RELIEF AT THE WHITE HOUSE THIS MORNING. BRITTNEY GRINER IS ON HER WAY AS WE SPEAK BACK HOME TO THE U.S. AFTER 294 DAYS IN RUSSIAN DETENTION SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS ON THOSE DRUG CHARGES, SHE HAS NOW BEEN RELEASED, SWAPPED FOR NOTORIOUS RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER VIKTOR BOUT. THE PRESIDENT EARLIER THIS MORNING SPEAKING WITH GRINER. WE SAW HIM TWEET OUT THOSE PHOTOS OF THE CONVERSATION, THE PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, AND CHERELLE, GRINER'S WIFE. A LOT OF SMILES IN THE OVAL OFFICE THIS MORNING AND A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF. GRINER HERSELF IS IN GOOD SPIRITS. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SHE IS FEELING EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. ALL THIS REALLY CAME TOGETHER JUST IN THE LAST 48 HOURS, AFTER A LOT HOFF PAIN STAKING NEGOTIATIONS HERE BETWEEN THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE RUSSIANS. OF COURSE YOU'LL RECALL EARLIER IN THE SUMMER, THE U.S. PUT FORTH A PROPOSAL TO TRY AND SECURE THE RELEASE OF BOTH BRITTNEY GRINER AND PAUL WHELAN. WE ARE TOLD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE ONLY WILLING TO NEGOTIATE OVER GRINER. THEY VIEWED PAUL WHELAN'S CASE, THOSE SHAM ESPIONAGE CASES AGAINST HIM, EXTREMELY DIFFERENT. THIS WASN'T A CHOICE OF WHICH AMERICAN TO BRING HOME. THE RUSSIANS MADE IT CLEAR IT WAS GRINER OR NO ONE. SHE IS ON HER WAY BACK, EXPECTEDLY BACK HERE ON U.S. SOIL WITHIN 24 HOURS. >> WITH THAT SAID, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE EFFORTS NOW TO RELEASE WHELAN? >> Reporter: OFFICIALS HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THEY HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT PAUL WHELAN. WE HEARD THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF UNDERSCORE THAT IN HIS REMARKS. THOSE NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE. HIGH LEVEL ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH PAUL WHELAN, INFORMING HIM OF THE DECISION TO BRING HOME BRITTNEY GRINER. HIS FAMILY PUT OUT A STATEMENT SAYING THEY UNDERSTAND THIS DECISION. THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE HAPPY TO SEE GRINER BEING RELEASED. THEY ARE DEVASTATED, OF COURSE, AND HOPING, OBVIOUSLY, THAT PAUL WHELAN WILL BE HOME SOON TOO. >> MARY BRUCE, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT. NOW WE TURN TO PIERRE THOMAS STANDING BY IN WASHINGTON, WITH MORE DETAILS EMERGING ABOUT THE PRISONER SWAP. ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT VIKTOR BOUT? >> HE'S KNOWN AS THE MERCHANT OF DEATH. HE WAS KNOWN AS THE BIGGEST ARMS TRAFFICKER IN THE WORLD WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED AND TAKEN DOWN BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. HE WAS SERVING 25 YEARS BECAUSE HE WAS INVOLVED IN WEAPONS TRAFFICKING AROUND THE GLOBE, INCLUDING TO COUNTRIES IN AFRICA, WHERE SO MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED WITH WEAPONS THAT WERE SOLD BY BOUT. NOW, THIS IS A PERSON THAT MANY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WANTED TO SERVE EVERY BIT OF HIS TERM. BUT CLEARLY THERE WAS AN EMPHASIS ON TRYING TO GET MS. GRINER HOME. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS DECIDED THAT OVER TIME, MR. BOUT'S RELEVANCE AND IMPORTANCE TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WAS NO LONGER THAT IMPORTANT. HE WAS KNOWN OR SUSPECTED OF BEING AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, PERHAPS INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVE FOR THE RUSSIANS. AND THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THEY THOUGHT HE WOULD BE A VALUABLE ASSET. BUT BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN IN A U.S. PRISON FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THAT HAD DIMINISHED. SO, THE PRIORITY BECAME GETTING THAT YOUNG LADY HOME. >> PIERRE, THE WHITE HOUSE IS CONCERNED ABOUT AMERICANS TRAVELING TO THE REGION, UNDERSTANDABLY. WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW? >> WELL, I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE -- AND I WAS SURPRISED WITH HOW BLUNT PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS THIS MORNING. HE MADE IT CLEAR, IF YOU'RE GOING TO COUNTRIES LIKE RUSSIA AND/OR IRAN AND CERTAIN PLACES THAT ARE IN OPEN CONFLICT WITH THE UNITED STATES, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE POTENTIALLY AT RISK IF YOU'RE AN AMERICAN, THAT THOSE COUNTRIES DON'T HAVE DUE PROCESS IN THE WAY THAT WE DO AND THAT YOU COULD BECOME A PAWN FOR THOSE COUNTRIES TO USE AS LEVERAGE TO GET WHAT THEY WANT. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, PIERRE. THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. >>> AND DR. JEN ASHTON HERE. AFTER NINE MONTHS IN A RUSSIAN PRISON, THAT HAS TO BE INCREDIBLY HARD ON ANYONE. TALK TO US ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF IMPRISONMENT. >> WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S A LOT IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE ABOUT THIS, YOU GUYS, MOST OF IT TAKEN FROM THE WORLD OF PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY, BASED ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HELD HOSTAGE OR IN CAPTIVITY. SOME FACTORS AT PLAY, THE DURATION OF IMPRISONMENT OR CAPTIVITY, THE CONDITIONS, THE AGE OF THE PERSON AND KIND OF PRE-EXISTING, IF ANY, MEDICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS THEY HAD. IN TERMS OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUTURE, FOR INCREASED RISK OF OBVIOUSLY PTSD, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THREE AREAS. COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL. COGNITIVELY, THERE COULD BE PROBLEMS WITH SOMEONE'S MEMORY OR CONCENTRATION. EMOTIONALLY, GUILT, ANGER, SHOCK, ALL NATURAL EMOTIONS THAT WE COULD EXPECT. AND SOCIALLY, THE NEED OR WANT TO WITHDRAW TEMPORARILY FROM FRIENDS, FAMILY, OR YOUR WORK. >> AND AFTER DEALING WITH SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE, HOW DOES ONE GET BACK INTO REGULAR LIFE? >> SLOWLY, CAREFULLY, OBVIOUSLY WITH PROFESSIONAL HELP OF TRAINED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. AN