The scene on the tarmac with Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout didn’t just show a prisoner trade. It told the story of where two rival countries had landed decades after the Cold War.
Tag: Bout, Viktor
Russia Cheers Viktor Bout’s Release as a Kremlin Victory
To the West, he is a criminal with blood on his hands, a global weapons merchant — but Russia portrays Mr. Bout as a victim of American injustice.
Viktor Bout Tells Maria Butina the US Is Trying to ‘Destroy’ Russia
He made the comments in an interview with Maria Butina, the Russian member of Parliament who served a little over a year in U.S. prisons.
Inside the Prisoner Swap That Freed Brittney Griner
U.S. officials say Moscow had been pushing for the release of a Russian assassin being held in Germany before finally agreeing to release Ms. Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer.
News Analysis: In Brittney Griner Deal, Putin Used Pain, a Familiar Lever
By seizing the basketball star, the Russian president made things so painful for the U.S. that it capitulated and turned over a convicted arms dealer. Can the same tactic work in the war in Ukraine?
Russian State Media Releases Video of Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout Swap
The images, verified by The New York Times, show Ms. Griner being traded for the arms dealer Viktor Bout on the tarmac at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi.
Who Is Viktor Bout, Arms Dealer in Swap for Brittney Griner?
Viktor Bout has been accused of supplying arms to Al Qaeda, the Taliban and rebels in Rwanda. His exploits helped inspire a 2005 film, “Lord of War,” that starred Nicolas Cage.
Brittney Griner’s Release Puts a Spotlight on Paul Whelan
Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive, was arrested at a Moscow hotel in December 2018. President Biden says his administration is still working on getting him released.
Paul Whelan, American Prisoner in Russia, Contacts Family After Weeks of Silence
Mr. Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on espionage charges that the United States calls politically motivated.
Russia Raises Hopes for Griner’s Release, but U.S. Says It’s Just Talk
The State Department says Russia refuses to negotiate seriously to free the basketball star Brittney Griner, who was sent to a penal colony with a nine-year sentence on a cannabis charge.