This could be another asinine foreign policy (remember Afghanistan?) move by the Biden administration to release such an evil man and one that would help Russia, our arch enemy, simply for political reasons.
Russia sees Bout as a "high-value asset" and are likely pushing hard for the exchange, according to former Defense Intelligence Agency officer Rebekah Koffler.
"Moscow wants him back because he possesses critical insights that he can share with the GRU, his former agency. Having been in a U.S. prison and interrogated by U.S. officials, he knows what our intelligence requirements are and other information that is valuable for the Russians," Koffler, the author of "Putin's Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America,"
"It would be a big mistake for the U.S. to give up Viktor Bout, as much as one feels compassion for Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan."