It was December 2022 and the U.S. government’s chief hostage negotiator had just delivered Brittney Griner back to America after her 10-month imprisonment in Russia. Roger Carstens went to his hotel room anticipating a quick snooze after several sleepless days and had just put his head on the pillow when the phone rang.
How sweeping U.S.-Russia prisoner swap came together: An assassin, a Putin foe's death, secret talks
![](https://patabook.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/APTOPIX_Russia_US_Prisoner_Swap_97309_s1440x960.jpg)