BREAKING: US has traded Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout (Merchant of Death) for Brittney Griner

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

This is possibly the worst prisoner exchange in history, no wonder Biden waited until after the midterms (and GA runoff) to announce it. So I guess it's now open season on American citizens in even midly hostile territory abroad? Since the precedent has been set that a D-list celebrity can be swapped with a powerful/dangerous arms dealer.

She isn't just a D-list celebrity: she's black and gay. Thanks to this exchange, Biden gets to look like he's fighting for minorities and Russia learns it can gain extra leverage by targeting American minorities. There might be terrible consequences in the long term, but these aren't likely to occur before Biden's final election campaign.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

I don't care what the other guy did. It's a deal.

Why not?

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

"This man would only accept a diamond in exchange for fool's gold. It was always going to be an unfair trade."

I would simply not trade the diamond. Russia, quite understandably, hopes to buy many more.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

"This man would only accept a diamond in exchange for fool's gold. It was always going to be an unfair trade."

I would simply not trade the diamond. Russia, quite understandably, hopes to buy many more.

This was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for Biden.

If he lets Brittney Griner rot away in Russia, then people would say "If she was a straight White woman, Biden would do everything to get her out. Biden doesn't care about Black women or the LGBT community"

He'd catch some flak, but there's an easy answer to the hypothetical attack line you've put out. I think it's a weak line to begin with, but if it really troubled him, he could just point to the straight, white, male Marine who also wasn't being released.

I agree he'll have some (probably minor) domestic political gain from this, but in the long run, it is likely to hurt US interests, victims of people like Bout, and Americans in Russia.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

I’d rather see a guilty person let free than an innocent person sent to the gulags. Bout already served a lot of his sentencing anyways, and there’s no guarantee that he’s gonna go back to being an arms dealer

Why would Russia want him if he's not of any use to them, then?

Proof to his successors that they can be looked after even if they're arrested by the USA.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Ah yes it's great that we freed the literal Merchant Of Death to get an athlete back. I don't care that this is a terrible trade. Luuuuv her identity categories, slaaaay qween!

For the record, I'd oppose this even if it was both Whelan and Griner. Viktor Bout should not be freed under any circumstance.

Bout is being freed anyway in a decade.

By "freed", you mean extradited to other countries which also wish to press charges.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Ah yes it's great that we freed the literal Merchant Of Death to get an athlete back. I don't care that this is a terrible trade. Luuuuv her identity categories, slaaaay qween!

For the record, I'd oppose this even if it was both Whelan and Griner. Viktor Bout should not be freed under any circumstance.

Bout is being freed anyway in a decade.

By "freed", you mean extradited to other countries which also wish to press charges.

?? Wut

Bout is not wanted by any agencies in Russia nor under any charges.

The whole Kremlin narrative was that he was an innocent guy.

Yes, but if he had finished his sentence in America, it seems likely the USA would have extradited him to other countries rather than letting him return to Russia as a free man.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Considering what Russia wanted for Whelan, I am now slightly relieved that this trade happened, because it could have been even worse: https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-12-09-22/h_8d292a9b6833c8143937f5fefc03237a

An assassin who killed a man in Berlin in broad daylight was to be the price. The US government was on board with this exchange, but Germany refused to extradite him.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Kommersant claims an American WSJ journalist has been arrested on charges of espionage and will be brought to Moscow imminently: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5902393?from=top_main_1

In my view, this guy is reaping what the galaxy-brained dealmakers sowed in this case.