© TASS

Russian citizen Viktor Bout, who spent nearly 15 years in a US prison, was exchanged for American Brittney Griner, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported last Thursday. The swap occurred at the Abu Dhabi airport. "For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V. A. Bout. Washington categorically refused dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian [citizen] in the exchange scheme," the statement read. In the end, continuous diplomatic efforts allowed Moscow and Washington reach an agreement.

In turn, Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova said the Russian and American leaders pardoned both swap participants. This means a termination of criminal prosecution and absolute freedom of movement. "The swap of Viktor Bout for US basketball player Brittney Griner can truly be described as a New Year gift. I think, everyone who followed the ordeal of this wonderful person, who had fallen victim of US insinuations, is now filled with joy," Moskalkova said.

Late in the evening on the day of exchange, the plane carrying Viktor Bout landed at Vnukovo 2 airport, where his wife Alla and mother Raisa were already waiting for him, accompanied by State Duma deputy Maria Butina. The latter herself spent 18 months in an American prison not so long ago. "Here I am. This is the most important thing. In the middle of the night, they woke me up and said, ‘Bag and baggage!’, without any prior information," Viktor Bout said upon landing. He did not even have time to say goodbye to his cellmates.

Let’s recall Viktor’s story in brief. While visiting Thailand as a tourist in March 2008, he was arrested at Washington’s request following a provocative operation by US intel and illegally taken to the States. They accused him of selling weapons worth millions of dollars to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), an extremist organization Washington deems as terrorist, as well as of plotting to kill US citizens. Bout denied the charges, saying he had been engaged in a legal business related to international air transportation, which he quit in 2001.

Pressed by Washington, the Thai authorities gave up and extradited the Russian businessman pursuant to the Court of Appeal’s ruling of August 20, 2010. Back then, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called this decision "illegal and politically-motivated." Still, November 16, 2010 saw Viktor Bout be extradited to the United States, where a federal court sentenced him to 25 years in prison and a $15 million fine. Russia's numerous requests for his release came up short.

But in late July this year, the media started mentioning Washington’s offer to Moscow to exchange Bout for Paul Whelan serving his 16-year espionage term in Russia, and Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in prison for drug smuggling in August this year. In the end, the Russian side managed to exchange Mr. Bout for the latter alone, leaving Whelan out in the cold, which America considers an unequal exchange.

This is what former adviser to the 45th US President for national security John Bolton wrote on his Twitter: "The Bout-for-Griner prisoner swap is not a trade, it’s an American surrender. This is not what American strength looks like. Terrorists and rogue states are smiling." Donald Trump himself dubbed the exchange a disgrace for America. "What a ‘stupid’ and unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA," he posted on his Truth Social network. In his opinion, Washington should have secured the release of Paul Whelan, not Griner who "hates her country," as he put it.

Interestingly, current US President Joe Biden attributes all the credit for the exchange of Booth and Griner to the American side. "We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations," the American leader said yesterday. One can sort of understand him – not so long ago he officially announced intention to run for a second term in 2024. Given America’s present-day narrative defying traditional family, LGBT votes are vital to him. Although unknown to anyone in the United States, dark-skinned and gay basketball player is more valuable to Joe Biden than Whelan the spy, whose exchange for Bout would hardly bring him any votes.

All the undisclosed negotiations on the issue were held along the specific communication channel established by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Joe Biden back in June 2021 at their meeting in Geneva. By the way, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also dwelt upon this earlier, claiming that all the key prisoner-exchange discussions between Russia and the United States are only addressed via a special channel designated by the two presidents. “The main task is to release the people, who are convicted there on draconian, as a matter of fact, punitive charges," he stressed.

The secret Ankara meeting of November 14 between intelligence chiefs of Russia and the US Sergei Naryshkin and William Burns is believed to have played a major part in Bout’s release. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov highly appreciated the role of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, despite Washington’s repudiation.

The US side insisted that Bout be exchanged under the 2-for-1 scheme, i.e. for both Whelan and Griner. But Moscow’s rigidity made the United States forget about their split over Ukraine and strike a deal with Russia on its terms. We may say the latter won this conditional race outscoring the States 1:0.