In the midst of Europe’s deadliest war since 1945, Russia and the United States are exploring a deal that could see imprisoned Americans, including Griner, returned to the United States in exchange for Bout. “I want to hope that the prospect not only remains, but strengthens, and that the moment will come when we reach a concrete agreement,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to Interfax. “The Americans show some external activity, we work professionally through a special channel designed for this,” said Ryabkov. “Victor Boot is among those being discussed and we are certainly counting on a positive result.” For the two former Cold War foes, now facing their most serious conflict since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the swap would mark one of the most unusual prisoner swaps in their history. The apparently upbeat remarks by Ryabkov, the foreign ministry’s top America and arms control official, contrasted with earlier statements from Moscow that warned Washington against trying to engage in megaphone diplomacy over the prisoner swap. The potential swap includes Griner, who faces nine years in prison in Russia after being convicted on drug charges, and Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia after being convicted of espionage charges he denies. Known as “the dealer of death”, Bout was one of the world’s most wanted men before his arrest in 2008 on multiple charges related to arms trafficking. For nearly two decades, Bout was one of the world’s most notorious arms dealers, selling weapons to rogue states, rebel groups and murderous warlords in Africa, Asia and South America. But in 2008, Bout was caught in an elaborate US sting. Bout was caught on camera agreeing to sell US secret agents posing as representatives of Colombia’s leftist Farc rebels 100 surface-to-air missiles, which they would use to kill US troops. Shortly afterwards he was arrested by the Thai police. Bout was tried on Farc-related charges, which he denied, and in 2012 was convicted and sentenced by a Manhattan court to 25 years in prison, the minimum possible sentence. Since then, the Russian state wants him back. Griner was taken to a penal colony in the Mordovia region, southeast of Moscow, her lawyers said on Thursday, confirming a Reuters report. At her trial, Griner – who played basketball for a Russian team in the US in the off-season – said she had used cannabis to relieve sports injuries but had not intended to break the law. She told the court she made an honest mistake by packing the cartridges in her luggage.
