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Viktor Bout, the notorious Russian arms trader swapped successful a captive speech for U.S. hoops prima Brittney Griner, said helium wished the WNBA subordinate luck arsenic the 2 concisely passed each different successful Abu Dhabi past week.
“I wished her bully luck, she adjacent extended her hand,” Bout, who is nicknamed the “Merchant of Death,” told Russia’s state-run RT tv web Saturday. “Our contented is to privation everyone bully luck and happiness.”
Asked if Griner engaged with him during the high-level exchange, the 55-year-old said: “Yes, she did, and I felt she was precise affirmative towards me.”
Edited video of the brace shared by Russian authorities media connected Thursday does not look to amusement the 2 conversing, and Griner has not commented connected the alleged interaction. In the footage, Griner tin beryllium seen flanked by 3 Russian men successful suits and Bout is accompanied by an American antheral successful khakis. The 2 locomotion by each different connected the tarmac earlier Bout embraces the Russian men and Griner leaves with the American.
Russian authorities media released this edited footage of the captive swap betwixt Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout connected Dec. 8. (Video: Russian authorities media)
In his Saturday interview, Bout besides expressed enactment for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s penetration of Ukraine, saying helium believes Moscow should person launched subject enactment “sooner.”
“I afloat enactment it,” helium said of the war. “If I had the accidental and the indispensable skills, I would surely volunteer.”
His interrogation was conducted by Marina Butina, a Russian cause convicted and jailed successful the United States for conspiring to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and different organizations without registering with authorities. She was released and deported backmost to Russia successful October 2019.
Griner, a two-time Olympic golden medalist who was set to play successful Russia during the WNBA offseason, was arrested astatine an airdrome adjacent Moscow successful February. She was sentenced to 9½ years successful situation aft bringing vape cartridges containing a tiny magnitude of cannabis lipid successful her luggage, which is amerciable successful Russia. Griner said it was an honorable mistake and her lawyers said she had a medicine to dainty chronic symptom and different conditions.
Bout was serving a 25-year condemnation astatine a medium-security situation successful Illinois for conspiring to termination U.S. nationals and selling weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) erstwhile President Biden approved his merchandise and commuted his sentence. The Kremlin had agelong called for Bout’s release, calling his condemnation “unlawful.”
In a abstracted Friday interrogation with RT, besides with Butina, Bout said it was hard to picture his caller freedom.
“It’s hard to adjacent find the close words to picture it all,” helium said, earlier adding that helium did not judge himself to beryllium “any mode important” to Russian authorities oregon Putin.
“We don’t permission our ain radical behind, right?” helium said of Russia’s combat for his release.
Griner touched down in San Antonio aboriginal Friday, ending a astir 10-month saga that landed 1 of the world’s champion women’s hoops players astatine the bosom of U.S.-Russia tensions. Officials said Griner would person aesculapian attraction and different support.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, celebrated her partner’s instrumentality location successful a Saturday Instagram post, adding that the mates are recovering from their clip apart.
“As BG and I commencement our travel to heal our minds, bodies, and spirits — I wanted to personally accidental convey you to immoderate of the hands; seen and unseen, that helped marque it imaginable for maine to spot my woman again!” she wrote.
Natalia Abbakumova, Miriam Berger, Mary Ilyushina, Arelis R. Hernández and Niha Masih contributed to this report.
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