Brittney Griner prisoner swap a rare diplomatic success between U.S. and Russia as war rages in Ukraine

The exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner and arms dealer Viktor Bout was a rare moment of successful diplomacy between Moscow and Washington as relations between the two countries deteriorate over the war in Ukraine.

For many, the trade will evoke memories of Soviet-era spy swaps — a more positive reminder of that era than the nuclear standoff that President Joe Biden recently said left the world facing its most dangerous moment since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Analysts said the fact that the Biden administration and the Kremlin were still...