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In Shadow of War, Moscow Pushing for 'Spy' Swap

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In Shadow of War, Moscow Pushing for 'Spy' Swap

Kremlin media revives push for US release of arms dealer Viktor Bout, the infamous "merchant of death."

Olga Lautman
Writes Russia's War on Democracy · Subscribe
Feb 13, 2022
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In Shadow of War, Moscow Pushing for 'Spy' Swap

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Over the past week, Russian state media has featured close to a dozen articles on the notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, who’s currently serving a 25-year sentence in an Illinois federal prison known for holding inmates convicted on terrorism and other serious, related crimes. The Kremlin seems to be signaling a new effort to get him back, with a “hostage exchange” in mind. Its pawns: former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, currently serving a 16-year sentence for espionage and Trevor Reed, another former U.S. marine convicted on charges of resisting arrest after a drunk-driving stop in 2019. When President Biden met with Vladmir Putin in Geneva last June, he raised the cases of Reed, Whelan and Michael Calvey, an American businessman since released after being convicted and handed a suspended sentence on embezzlement charges.

Viktor Bout was arrested in a US sting in Thailand in 2008 (DEA)

If the Kremlin is angling for a swap, it would hardly be the first time Russia and the United States have

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A guest post by
Olga Lautman
Analyst and researcher focused on Kremlin, organized crime, intel, Eastern Europe ▫️ Senior fellow for The Center for European Policy Analysis Co-Host of Kremlin File podcast
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