Explained: How US concluded the prison swap between Griner & 'death Merchant' Viktor Bout

The WNBA star Brittney Griner finally touched down in San Antonio, Texas, after spending around 10 months inside a Russian prison. On December 8 morning, US president Joe Biden announced her arrival at the White House, when he said, “She (Griner) is safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home”. While these remarkable words by Biden brought relief to Griner's family and loved ones, her release from the Russian prison came with a price. 

Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer was released from the US prison in a prison exchange conducted between US and Russia. Bout popularly known as “the Merchant of Death,” was extradited from Thailand to the US in 2010. Two years earlier he came under America’s radar after the US Drug Enforcement Agency conducted a sting operation. While many praised the Biden administration for bringing Griner back, there were some who questioned whether the Prison swap between a basketball star and “The Merchant of death” was a fair deal or not. 

Amidst all the chaos revolving around the controversial prisoner swap, on December 9, a White House official told CNN that the Biden administration green-lit the prison swap since “Bout was not a security threat to the US”. While the claim by the US official provides much relief to many, the timings of the release of the most infamous arms dealer become a matter of concern as the Russia-Ukraine war is escalating to great ends. People also wonder why Griner’s case was given preference over the case of Paul Whelan who has been prisoned in Russia since 2018. 

Negotiation strategies involved in the prison exchange between Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout

The WNBA star was arrested by the Russian authorities, on the eve of the commencement of the Russia-Ukraine war. She was arrested from the Moscow airport over the charges of carrying drugs after a vape cartridge containing a small quantity of cannabis oil was found in her back. While Griner claimed that it was an honest mistake, she pleaded guilty to the charges imposed by the Russian court. 

Since Griner was sentenced to nine years of prison, the Biden administration battled hard to take the diplomacy route to get the basketball star released from prison. According to BBC, Griner wrote a letter to the US president in July claiming that she is afraid that she’d be detained indefinitely. While prisoner exchange between two countries is usually a district ordeal, this prisoner swap became highly publicised after US Secretary of state Antony Blinken claimed that the Putin administration is refusing to agree to a “substantial offer” proposed by the US. The US was eyeing to get both Griner and Corporate security executive Paul Whelan who has been in the Russian prison for the past four years. However, after, what Biden called “painstaking negotiations,” the Biden administration managed to get only Griner back in exchange for the infamous death merchant. 

Was this a fair deal? What about Paul Whelan?

The prisoner swap that commenced on December 8 was praised by many, however, there were some who are considering it a bad deal. On Thursday, Robert Zachariasiewicz who was on the DEA team that tracked Bout down told CBS News that the prisoner swap has the potential to put “other Americans in danger”. He said, “I think we just encouraged false detentions of hostage-taking all over the world. I think we just sent the message out that it is good business to have American citizens in your back pocket for that day, you need a bargaining chip,”

Not only this, many questioned what happened to Paul Whelan, who has been held in the Russian prison since 2018. Addressing the American media, following the presidential announcement, White House Press Secretary Jean-Pierre talked about how Russia treated Paul’s case differently. She said on Thursday, “In recent weeks, though, it became clear that while the Russians were willing to reach an agreement to secure Brittney’s release, they continue to treat Paul differently, as I just stated, with their totally illegitimate charge that they levied against Paul.'' Sympathising with the Whelan family, Pierre also claimed that the US President will talk to Whelan’s family “when they are ready to have that conversation”. Hence, while the US got a moment to rejoice in the arrival of the WNBA stars, the tensions around the release of Viktor Bout and the fate of Paul Whelan still loom over the Biden administration.