INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United States and Russia are discussing a prisoner exchange that would involve trading a notorious Russian arms trafficker for an
American basketball star, a Russian diplomat said Saturday.It marked the first time that Russia has said the talks concerned exchanging
Viktor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death," for two-time Olympian Brittney Griner."The discussions on the very sensitive topic of an
exchange are proceeding via the channels chosen by our presidents," Alexander Datchiev, the head the North America department at the Russian
Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS."Silent diplomacy continues and should bear fruit if Washington, of course,
is careful not to fall into propaganda," he said.Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing vape cartridges with a
small amount of cannabis oil.The 31-year-old, who was in Russia to play for the professional Yekaterinburg team during her off-season from
the Phoenix Mercury, was charged with smuggling narcotics and sentenced to nine years in prison earlier this month.Bout was arrested in
Thailand in 2008 and then extradited to the United States , where in 2012 he was sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges of arming rebels
in some of the world's bloodiest conflicts.He inspired the 2005 arms smuggling movie "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage and was dubbed
the "Merchant of Death" by former British minister Peter Hain for supplying weapons to war-torn Angola and Liberia.Russia has long sought
his release.Last weekend Bill Richardson, a former United States ambassador to the United Nations who has negotiated the release of several
American citizerns held in other countries, said he was "optimistic" about efforts to negotiate a "two for two" prisoner swap with Russia."I
it will be two for two, involving Paul Whelan," he told ABC's "This Week," insisting that he was only a "catalyst" in negotiations.Whelan
is a former United States Marine who was convicted of espionage in June 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison
He has maintained his innocence.
