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

[Woody]

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/08/americas/viktor-bout-profile-prisoner-swap-intl/index.html

On Thursday, a source told CNN that the US basketball star had been released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” by his accuser.

Bout, a former Soviet military officer, was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization. Bout has maintained he is innocent.

The Kremlin has long called for his release, slamming his sentencing in 2012 as “baseless and biased.”

“Viktor Bout has been international arms trafficking enemy number one for many years, arming some of the most violent conflicts around the globe,” said Preet Bharara, the US attorney in Manhattan when Bout was sentenced in New York in 2012.

https://twitter.com/AndrewW66619812/status/1600846414506229762

[wbrocks67]

Biden really having an incredible run here. Again, getting more sh*t done.

Amazing for Brittany and her family.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Happy for her. Terrible that Paul Whelan seems to have been left out in the cold.

The US should institute the highest possible travel advisory for Russia, equivalent to North Korea. Putin will be seeking more hostages.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Good news although we don't know about Zawai this is positive for Biden reelection

[Gass3268]

Bout has already served 2/3rds of his sentence, it’s not like he’s getting away with no punishment.

[Agafin]

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.

[Suburbia]

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.

Explain.

[wbrocks67]

Happy for her. Terrible that Paul Whelan seems to have been left out in the cold.

The US should institute the highest possible travel advisory for Russia, equivalent to North Korea. Putin will be seeking more hostages.

Why are people making this about Whelan? It sounds like his situation is quite different than Brittany's, and Russia is also treating it considerably different than hers as well (for whatever reason). There's no reason people can't be happy for Brittany and need to somehow bring Whelan into it too. Situations like these are obv complicated, I doubt there was any scenario where Russia was going to free two American citizens at the same time.

[Gass3268]

Happy for her. Terrible that Paul Whelan seems to have been left out in the cold.

The US should institute the highest possible travel advisory for Russia, equivalent to North Korea. Putin will be seeking more hostages.

https://twitter.com/nickkalmanfn/status/1600847157216522240?s=46&t=fihCwCZWS...

[Woody]

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.

Explain.

International arms trafficker and supplier of African/ME/South American warlords with arsenals worth several billion dollars = basketball player?

No offense to Brittney

[Gass3268]

Happy for her. Terrible that Paul Whelan seems to have been left out in the cold.

The US should institute the highest possible travel advisory for Russia, equivalent to North Korea. Putin will be seeking more hostages.

https://twitter.com/nickkalmanfn/status/1600847157216522240?s=46&t=fihCwCZWS...

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Kremlin did it after Eday suspicious but what is Trump or DeSantis go ma say on Natl security on Biden he killed AL Zawai and freed Greer

[wbrocks67]

The rest of their response though ... I can only imagine what they've gone through, but I think a lot of their anger is incredibly misguided.

https://twitter.com/ArdenFarhi/status/1600850642821488640

[Mr. Reactionary]

Despicable.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Despicable.

Agreed.  I'm sure Ukraine and most of the rest of Russia's neighbors will be delighted that the Merchant of Death is free.

[Person Man]

This is good. We have a better chance of eventually whacking him than them of her.

[Sir Mohamed]

Good Griner is out here.

That said, this is far from a fair trade. An arms dealer responsible for a high number of deaths versus a basketball player that was in possession of a small of marijuana. The US govt was in a weaker position here, though, because we really wanted Griner back. Putin wouldn't have bothered to let Bout sit in prison for another 15 years.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Joke Sullivan got dictated to.

https://twitter.com/nickschifrin/status/1600868026471284739

[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.

[lfromnj]

This has been the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever.

[emailking]

Paul Whelan is also wrongfully detained. Hopefully another deal can be made for him. Maybe that's what was holding this up since she was convicted a long time ago.

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

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

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

Why not?

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

The incoming MAGA House majority should investigate this much more than the Hunter Biden stuff.

[Sir Mohamed]

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1600841306560937986

[FT-02 Senator A.F.E. 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

I never understood why this basketball player is somehow equivalent to an actual arms trafficker. Could they not have exchanged her for some kind of spy or something?