Notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout has been all over the news for the past few months. He was serving time in the United States under multiple charges of arms trafficking and was instrumental in bringing controversial WNBA star Brittney Griner back home through a prisoner exchange program. Officials from Russia and the United States finally agreed on a prisoner swap deal recently after months of negotiations involving Griner and Bout. Interestingly enough, the two had a brief interaction after the officials struck a deal.

Griner and Bout briefly crossed paths in Abu Dhabi and they had a brief chat with each other. Bout recently revealed details about their interaction.

Notorious arms dealer and Brittney Griner had a brief interaction

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner faced nine tough years in one of the most dreaded prisons in the world under drug trafficking charges. However, the swap deal saved her from inhumane living conditions inside her Mordovian penal colony. She was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Russian judiciary after security officials had detained her in an airport near Moscow, earlier this year, for carrying traces of cannabis oil in her belongings.

Following the swap deal, Viktor Bout, known as the ‘Merchant of Death’ and Brittney Griner met briefly while on a tarmac in Abu Dhabi. Bout recently revealed what happened during the exchange. He said, “I wished her luck, she even sort of reached out her hand to me.”

“You should wish everyone good fortune and happiness,” he added, detailing his message to the WNBA star.

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 Moreover, he also talked about how Griner felt ‘positively inclined’ towards him. In the same interview, he went off on a homophobic rant while praising Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Biden administration called out for its treatment of former Marine

While many have lauded the administration for bringing Brittney Griner back home, the government has also been under fire for its treatment of Paul Whelan. The former Marine is serving his sentence in Russia for four years and various earlier reports had suggested that he would be a part of the deal.

However, the Russian officials only agreed on a swap that involved Griner and Bout only. The Biden administration has been bashed by people and eminent personalities like Elon Musk for their treatment of Paul Whelan.

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