Who is Viktor Bout, Russian 'Merchant of Death' slated to be released in exchange for Brittney Griner?

The US government led by President Joe Biden is looking to secure the release of American professional basketball superstar Brittney Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan by freeing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been nicknamed the "Merchant of Death". He could be returned to his native country. This is part of "a substantial offer" made by the United States to Russia to release the US citizens detained there, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

Who is Viktor Bout?
Bout is presently serving a 25-year sentence in a US jail after being found guilty in 2011 of attempting to assassinate Americans, conspiring to supply anti-aircraft weapons and assisting a terrorist group.


He was apprehended in 2008 during an undercover operation at a posh hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, where he met with spies from the Drug Enforcement Administration. They were trying to pose as representatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which is considered a narco-terrorist organisation by US authorities.

Bout was in talks to provide a massive number of weapons worth nearly $20 million to the organisation. The weaponry included numbers of missiles, automatic weapons and sniper rifles, as well as 10 million rounds of ammunition and five tonnes of explosive materials.

A movie was also made on Bout, named "Lord of War," in 2015, and Bout has defended his actions and said he is a genuine businessman.

Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan
In February, Griner was detained at a Russian airport when authorities allegedly discovered cannabis oil in her luggage. She could spend up to 10 years in prison after entering a guilty plea to a drug dealing allegation this month, although she has claimed that her goal was not to break Russian law.

In 2020, Whelan received a 16-year prison term for espionage-related offences, but he, his relatives, and the US government have all defended his actions.

Bout, a valuable asset for Russia
In May, the state-run TASS news agency first reported that agreements to swap Bout for Griner were in progress.

Russian officials have been pressing hard for this swap because they view Bout as an important subject and consider him valuable. Russia wants him back because he has valuable knowledge that he can impart to the Russian federal agency GRU, his old organisation. The man knows much valuable information that would be helpful for Russian intelligence requirements.

The Biden government acknowledged making a practical approach to assist in releasing Griner and Whelan on Wednesday. According to a White House representative, the US government is still effective in pursuing every path to make this work.