President Joe Biden has offered to release Viktor Bout, the notorious Russian arms dealer nicknamed the “Merchant of Death,” from US custody in exchange for the return of Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, according to multiple Biden Administration officials.
John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters at the daily White House press briefing on Wednesday that the prisoner swap offer was communicated to Russian officials “several weeks ago”, but would not say whether Moscow had been receptive to the proposal.
