Releasing Russia’s Viktor Bout is a national security threat

The United States suffered a significant defeat this week, which was disguised by the happiness about Brittney Griner returning home at Christmas. On the one hand, for Brittney and her family, we have to feel joy that she got out of the Russian prison, and that she will be home. On the other hand, if you think long term and you look at national security, releasing Victor Bout is a disaster. Victor Bout was probably the leading arms dealer in the world. He caused disasters all across Africa. He was essentially the Russian agent who was in charge of penetrating the third world. He helped terrorist groups. He was ultimately indicted for trying to kill Americans, and was sentenced to 25 years of prison in our maximum security prison in Illinois. The fact that he’s being released is a nightmare.

First of all, it’s a nightmare because it’s a signal that Putin really wanted to send to every one of his key agents around the world, that if you get in trouble, I’ll take care of you, I’ll make sure you come home. And so he’s now going to go back home and people are going to say around the world, I can take risk for Putin, because he has my back. Second is a disaster. Because Victor Bout knows a great deal about international arms negotiations. And given the fact that the Russians have basically run so low on weapons in the Ukrainian war, that they’re buying drones from Iran, they’re buying rockets and other things from North Korea. Victor Bout is the right guy to help them reach out and around the world and scrounge up all the weapons they need. So he’s still a very, very dangerous man. At the time he was caught. He was the second most valued person after Osama bin Laden, we really listed him as the one we most wanted to get other than Osama bin Laden. At the time, the the Obama administration was thrilled that they caught him thrilled that they could try him and put him in jail. And they were very clear about how dangerous he was. Well, he still is. And so I would say this is a case where it is Putin one, Biden zero. The US, I think, for short term emotional advantage, which was just real. And I think from the standpoint of Brittney Griner’s family, they couldn’t care less how they got her out. They’re just glad she’s home. But if you make national policy about national security, you have to be very concerned that this is both a terrible precedent and that the release of somebody as dangerous and as effective as Victor Bout is a real hit on American national security and the safety of Americans.