How the Merchant of Death got his nickname

How did Viktor Bout become the Merchant of Death? By swooping in and taking advantage of the post-Soviet chaos of the early 1990s. #viktorbout #britneygriner
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[@milessilverman1300]

Biggest trade in wnba history

[@EMAN00619]

🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂

[@chadpowell1832]

💀

[@dextermorgan2482]

😂

[@hugo57k91]

😂

[@hugo57k91]

Probably in the NBA too

[@riton349]

The Merchant of Death: "I was a Business man... doing business."

[@CannabinatedFantasy]

u mean the guy who was a US contractor was entrapped when he turned down an offer from al quada who is also funded by the US while we arm african terrorists with weapons from ukraine

[@michaeltagor4238]

he was a business man and his business was war crimes

[@tylerorta3875]

"Business is boomin"

[@prathamkalgutkar7538]

Makes sense cause Soviet Union had Collapsed and Socialism was Replaced by Capitalism And he like Any good Capitalist benefited from it

[@chairmanxina2338]

@@prathamkalgutkar7538 exactly. Just being smart and taking advantage of situations

[@Astaroth73]

"How unfair you wanted this trade to be?" The US: "YES"

[@hobogrifter]

She has a future, he was being released in a few years anyway, why not bring an American home too? Edit: Also I guess it Russia offered the guy who committed espionage on us we'd take it. Can you guys find some sources for when Russia offered that trade because so far I can't find anything.

[@chiqitabana6577]

@@hobogrifter why bring a basketball player back instead of a marine who fought for his country

[@user-il2gl6se3o]

@@hobogrifter Ah yes let‘s bring someone back who‘s there because of their own selfish actions instead of people who gave up their normal lives to do something for their country…

[@christhechrischris9226]

​@@chiqitabana6577Well she's a civilian who's been wrongfully imprisoned and he's a soldier who if I'm not mistaken volunteered to fight for the freedom of civilians potentially at the cost of his life so I don't see what your problem is he kind of signed up for it.

[@hahaiamshambler7627]

@@christhechrischris9226 preach

[@grafgummiente1583]

Again for all who still don’t get it: The US government swapped a war criminal, arrested for, surprise surprise, war crimes, for a WNBA player that had weed in her luggage.

[@Flutronko]

@@ivangarcia1327 He was a major factor in distribution of higher tech weapons in the African wars like mentioned in a video. These people were posed with threats they couldn’t combat. What can you do when a missile is barreling towards your home?

[@lupohutchington269]

A drug addict for one of the most dangerous man of the century

[@lupohutchington269]

The merchant of death is the man responsible for people visualization of african guerrillas and terrorists with AK47

[@angularsaxophone5820]

​@@FlutronkoI don't think distributing arms is considered a war crime.

[@waderobertson2529]

@@angularsaxophone5820He supplied war criminals does that sound better to you

[@dvsmapple]

USSR collapsed in 1991....1989 was the year Berlin Wall was no more...

[@ahmedharajli189]

Want a cookie?

[@StrikerTheFirst.]

​@@ahmedharajli189ayo shut up no reason to shame him. Its imformative

[@nikita5917]

They are talking about the government, not the union

[@yourfriendlyneighburhoodracist]

​@@StrikerTheFirst. want a cookie?

[@ahmedharajli189]

@@yourfriendlyneighburhoodracist nah he was so aggressive with it for a minor detail that wasn’t relevant here

[@perwiratempur]

That’s Nick Cage in Lord of War

[@CannabinatedFantasy]

u mean the guy who was a US contractor was entrapped when he turned down an offer from al quada who is also funded by the US while we arm african terrorists with weapons from ukraine

[@Doyle-]

I guess Viktor Bout Story was the basis for the movie, i guess arms dealer movie is enjoyable to watch

[@shadowgun7331]

​@@Doyle- lord of war was enjoyable because of the direction. The written dialogue, well executed tension and drama.

[@genericorochimain7027]

@@Doyle- it was nick cages character was based on Viktor bout

[@James-hp3in]

Amazing movie

[@TheJttv]

CIA was offended the he stole their turf.

[@CannabinatedFantasy]

u mean the guy who was a US contractor was entrapped when he turned down an offer from al quada who is also funded by the US while we arm african terrorists with weapons from ukraine

[@castillogrande8926]

He didn't have a proper war crime license XD

[@Sujay95]

@@castillogrande8926 "oi you got loicense for that?"

[@S0M3THING]

Ikr people in the comments act like he’s terrible, when the cia literally does the same. So goofy 🙄

[@cuthelar7453]

Brilliant!!

[@im_theodore]

''Superstar'' 💀💀💀 99% of people didn't knew who she was

[@botowner8623]

Exctly

[@narconyx]

Fr I watched this video literally just now and already forgot her name

[@chameleon9717]

FACTS!!

[@jackiswack]

Who who was?

[@l1nr3b7]

That's because no-one except North Americans watch WNBA

[@nova2293]

I love how they say “aka victor bout” like it’s his nickname, like bros license says “Death, Merchant O.” 😭

[@joseloera5849]

That part confused me, I thought Victor Bout was his nickname and that they were going to explain why he got that nickname.

[@crisdekker8223]

The government of the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. 1989 was the year the governments of their satellite states collapsed, like Czechoslovakia, the GDR, Bulgaria and Romania.

[@emilchandran546]

Really disgraceful error. I mean, seriously, one of the most important events of the 20th century. And one of the more recent ones. How hard is it to get these details right as a “news source?” I really despair for the future, when this is how people are informing themselves.

[@Ape_PONR]

@@emilchandran546 right.

[@ginandromeda1618]

The description says "early 1990s" so I don't understand why they got it wrong or maybe he started doing this in 1989. Another thing I believe they didn't get right was that Britney was imprisoned because she had a marijuana-based oil in her baggage, at least that's the reason many people and media have been citing, I've never heard it was a discrimination based on sexuality matter

[@joekerr5418]

​@@emilchandran546 it's Vox. C'mon now

[@ObviousThr33s]

It was one long year for the Soviet Union, 1991 is the formal collapse into nations. Everyone knows the fall of the Berlin Wall marks the fall of the Soviet Union as an idea (shorts are more for ideas than for sources). This idea is that since the Berlin Wall was also the beginning of the Soviet Union and its iron curtain policy of isolationism the fall of the wall in 1989 marks the beginning of the end and also the end as a whole (in which the end has an end in 1991). The sale of arms was only able to happen in the proxy states of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe in 1989, at the time Russia as a country existed as the Soviet Union, not the other way around where Russia existed as the greater part of the Soviet Union.

[@manfelt2959]

Ngl, "Merchant of Death" is a Badass nicknme.

[@chameleon9717]

Fr

[@torahibiki]

Alfred nibel be like

[@TheNortonio]

The call me the "merchant of debt".

[@Cynthia_Blackraven_666]

"Lord of war" is even cooler

[@JGSC_]

Literally an outrageous exchange….

[@CaseyEm]

He's no threat anymore. If you'd just use that walnut in your head for a nanosecond your realize why.

[@adhitypratamairwanto5450]

​@@CaseyEm bro Russia know how to use people like him especially

[@CaseyEm]

@@adhitypratamairwanto5450 you give Russia way too much credit. They aren't some sort of supergenius hivemind. Just look at the war in Ukraine to see how smart they are. Also, he's literally useless. The only reason he was able to do what he did was because he was comparatively rich enough to bribe a lot of security guards in a crumbling ussr, and had the resources to move goods. The circumstances that allowed him to do as much as he did are no longer around.

[@simpfinty6492]

@@CaseyEm why not? he can easily get back his weapons from Russia and sell them to third world countries to make a profit and tear them apart this trade is just going to lead to more war I doubt Russia will detain him

[@CaseyEm]

@@simpfinty6492 do you honestly think Russia will just give him weapons? What benefit would that have for Russia?

[@Trevor21230]

Wasn't Alfred Nobel (inventor of Dynamite) also called the "Merchant of Death" when the media mistakenly thought he'd died?

[@fewbronzegames]

i believe so yeah, that's why he made the nobel prize because he realized that people thought of him as a monster for inventing dynamite even tho it wasn't used for military purposes for the most part anyway because other explosives were better for weapons, they are used for utility purposes tho which is why it was made and how it should be used

[@ProfAzimov]

Merchant of Death is a title passed through generations

[@ntm05]

If he’s the merchant of death then what is the USA called?

[@nerrler5574]

The corporation of "lethal aid".

[@SlavaSlavenima]

because freedom and democracy has always been handed over by authoritarians and colonizers peaceably

[@WIZardO1O1O1]

💀

[@dylanghawks]

Guardian of the Arsenal of Democracy.

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

The "mass murder magnates"

[@feizai245]

The CIA hates competition.

[@emperorthylord]

Bruh

[@chimpgaming8290]

Literally makarov

[@Kareem.K]

So he basically just did what the US government and cia were doing (and still doing) yet he's the one with the nickname??

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

Well the us cant be merchants of death. They are bringing freedom and democracy. Dropping tonns of it on helpless civilians.

[@manwithhinge]

America controls mass media in the west so I cant imagine them letting this sort of idea spread in the public conscious.

[@Kareem.K]

@@manwithhinge not just the media in the west, more like the whole world except for China and Russia and Iran and north Korea, but every where else

[@manwithhinge]

@@Kareem.K true true

[@carl4243]

Lol imagine buying weapons from the US the paper work alone would tire you to death.

[@Spiderfisch]

Nicholas Cage should have had that epic moustache in the movie

[@true1love87]

What a great swap😂

[@realmadridd2]

"1989 thats when the government of the soviet union collapsed" bruh the soviet union collapsed in 1991💀

[@laccless]

The gov basically collapsed in 89 it was made official in 91

[@ProfAzimov]

The government of the Soviet Union began collapsing in 1989. You people think that governments just spontaneously implode.

[@kleox6138]

I'm sure both of the wnba fans are happy right now

[@Silverizael]

Anyone who cares about releasing someone who should have never been imprisoned should be happy right now. The funny thing is that the soldier everyone is whining about as deserving of the exchange more both wasn't being offered by Russia and has way worse charges on him. That are at least partially real. He wasn't a spy for the US, but he was definitely doing something shady and likely illegal in Russia that got him caught.

[@abdulcisse4381]

Wat fans?

[@Thwiflistic]

@@Silverizael why shouldn’t she be imprisoned?

[@FrankBoston]

Bwahaha. OMG, you have no idea how bad I needed a laugh . Thank you!

[@ecartman154]

​@@Silverizael she was also doing something illegal?

[@romanalhadin7473]

That‘s literally what the us and so many other countries did do for decades, no?

[@mintsolstice3535]

It's easier to pin it on one person than to put the whole country of the USA on trial for our war crimes. Being as the USA doesn't even allow us to be tried by other countries.

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

Did? Still does.

[@carl4243]

US is tied with dum bureaucracy and enormous amounts of paper work, he skipped a lot of that so poorer countries went to him.

[@unodos.4557]

I can’t imagine the look on the faces of future history nerds looking back at this prisoner swap 😭😭😭

[@indifferentcynic9065]

"This has been the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever"

[@Silverizael]

It was one of the more middling of trades, actually. A gun seller who had served most of his sentence and had lost all of his connections and influence due to being in jail for so long being traded for a sports player who should have never been arrested in the first place.

[@beans5762]

​@@Silverizaelshe kinda broke the law there and was punished for it, and also the merchant of death is responsible for the deaths of many many people so he deserves to be locked up

[@beans5762]

​​@@Silverizaelnd even still if they were gonna trade him they should've traded him for the marine who served his country instead of a WNBA player who broke the law

[@Silverizael]

@@beans5762 A marine who was dishonorably discharged for stealing money from other marines? Who was caught in Russia involved in smuggling? Why would they want him over a sports player?

[@lqr824]

@@Silverizael > who should have never been arrested in the first place Russia was classified RED ZONE: DO NOT TRAVEL by the state department and she was willfully breaking their laws. Put two and two together, man. She sure couldn't.

[@100JAD.]

There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11?

[@8is]

Is Warlord based on this guy or did it only take inspiration?

[@100JAD.]

@@8is it's not based on him but it is heavily inspired by him.

[@8is]

@@Dimitris_Balf That sounds way harder.

[@8is]

@@Dimitris_Balf That's the tiny minority that includes professional soldiers, conscripts, police, hunters, gun owners, etc. All of whom each has their own vested interest in keeping their guns.

[@miloraddodik4974]

​@@Dimitris_Balf 1 guy with a gun vs 11 people withouth guns. 11 bullets ought to do it

[@user-ux7hd3jb2m]

Brittney was lucky enough to be born in the United States. No other Nation would have made that trade.

[@lqr824]

How is that lucky? She shouldn't have gone to a State Department RED ZONE country, and shouldn't have broken laws when she went.

[@thenasiudk1337]

This man is literally the real life Makarov

[@woodencheck6181]

Oh my god

[@hoopsha905]

Every Russian looks so badass omg

[@Reilyreid]

'Superstar'' 💀💀💀 99% of people didn't knew who she was

[@aguywhosaguy]

very original

[@OnimoIndustries]

You traded the lord of war for a basketball player 💀

[@TheLunatrick]

"Superstar"

[@johneith5158]

New record set with the biggest wnba transfer ever🥵

[@masonalexanderayer5425]

Worst trade deal in American history.

[@unknownmasksw2serialirious580]

Nah it the best u see me in the future 😂

[@forinti]

I guess the US doesn't like competition.

[@olal9904]

zing

[@user-no4su7je2n]

soyjak found

[@lisagonzalez1371]

Stolen comment

[@SmileFile_exe]

Alfred Nobel: am i a joke to you?

[@soggysocks9650]

Swapped a war criminal named The Merchant of Death, who caused the escalation of multiple armed conflicts for a basketball player

[@enormhi]

I don't like to quote Trump, but... This has been the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever

[@naufaltriandiroziqi8538]

@@zUJ7EjVD I've seen this guy commenting on other's comment. Making me suspicious that this guy is just a bot or a simp

[@enormhi]

@@zUJ7EjVD The only person saying they are equally bad is you.

[@Silverizael]

Why? Merchant guy was worthless, had served most of his sentence, and has no connections left to do anything. Might as well use him for something.

[@truthhurts1936]

@@zUJ7EjVD let Britney Rot. Don't negotiate with terrorists

[@30268mustang]

Biggest trade in WNBA History!!! 🤣

[@CaseyEm]

So original. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. This is Laughter.

[@laccless]

@@CaseyEm someone’s mad 😭

[@CaseyEm]

@@laccless turn away from the mirror for a moment

[@laccless]

@@CaseyEm cry more 💀

[@CaseyEm]

@@laccless 🪞🚶‍♀️

[@Nerderkips]

Ironic that AMERICANS are worrying about prison safety

[@86kickass]

Our prisons aren’t that bad there are very few counties in the world with safe prisons

[@Nerderkips]

@@86kickass 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@Oldass_Deadass_dumbass_channel]

​@@86kickassPure copium

[@zeitgeistx5239]

Love how all the culture warrior magically cared about Bout when Fox News told them to, not when Bout contracted by the Pentagon in the Middle East.

[@dukes1993724]

Huh?

[@kv7921]

@@dukes19937242 of Viktor Bouts’s companies were contracted for US war in Iraq

[@swagger5455]

Sorry I would reply but the translate to English button isn’t showing up

[@elizabethhenning778]

It was one of Bout's shell companies and supposedly they hadn't yet connected it to him at the time. What makes me laugh is all the amateur national security specialists who are sure that Bout is going to go back to dealing arms. Uh, no he won't.

[@CannabinatedFantasy]

u mean the guy who was a US contractor was entrapped when he turned down an offer from al quada who is also funded by the US while we arm african terrorists with weapons from ukraine

[@nahommerk9493]

Imagine how many conflicts and deaths this guy was behind... This hits even more deeply when you're an African...

[@S0M3THING]

He armed them equally, what they do with that is their choice

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

I mean US did like 10 times worse. He is pretty insignificant.

[@manwithhinge]

@@Cyborg_Lenin that is true but it still doesnt excuse him from his actions.

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

@@manwithhinge No but it makes america hypocritical for acting like hes the monster here.

[@CaseyEm]

So, he's not a threat to literally anyone. There was no real reason to keep him locked up

[@printedwit]

i am extremely grateful - although i continue to do my fact-checking independently - that ya'll at vox DO fact-checking in advance. 25 years ago, I took that for granted. now, the playing field, goals, the rules, etc. have all changed on that front. makes ya'll that much more valuable.

[@CaseyEm]

It's not different now, you just know it's happening, when you didn't before. You have taken your sudden awareness of this fact as the point when the trouble started, instead of realizing it's always been this way.

[@loloverlord1664]

It's revealing about how those counties works and what they value. One side want a basketball player. The other side wants a litteral death dealer...

[@alexanderbabjak6265]

He was a business man doing business

[@christopherhitchens163]

Releasing a killer for a basket ball player. Nice one

[@salokin3087]

A fairly young basket ball player vs an old man who stole loads of Russian weapons. Yes.

[@aneeshprasobhan]

@@salokin3087 didn't you hear the "Arming african warlords " part ?

[@aneeshprasobhan]

@@zUJ7EjVD there were literally US Veterans in Russian prisons

[@salokin3087]

@@aneeshprasobhan which happened decades ago, he wasn't the only one arming them, nor the last

[@salokin3087]

@@aneeshprasobhan such as? And what did they do?

[@aruixa4754]

Superstar 😂

[@bhero6]

Obviously a fair and equal trade

[@kylepayton4720]

He sounds like an American politician.

[@thisisreallife9026]

bruh

[@mintsolstice3535]

They act like the usa as a whole hasn't been selling weapons as our main export for years. Like seriously. It's not right for the EITHER of us.

[@seasong7655]

Reminds me of France selling nukes to both Pakistan and India 🤣💀

[@georgyekimov4577]

its good buisness

[@yunnayun9367]

Philippines need this , to France

[@treef00t_]

we really lost an arms dealer for a basketball player who couldnt leave her dab pen at home...

[@tigerflower853]

I love that he gave them to BOTH sides. didn't even have a particular favour of one side winning. he literally just wanted chaos

[@Gayoinion]

Don’t actual counties do the same thing

[@wisewolfds]

Yup, but nobody wants to talk about that ever. Doesn't make what this guy did okay, but it certainly is a "pot calling the kettle black" moment for sure.

[@jimpachihaihachima1753]

Yes but this is a single person not a country.

[@AG-yc7vt]

Exactly. 1 man was able to do what a multi billion dollar government could do. 1 man had that much power.

[@SlavaSlavenima]

@@wisewolfds since when are a country and a single person comparable?

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

​@@SlavaSlavenimaindeed. Countries doing this are way worse.

[@joshuakennedy2015]

He sounds like the Lord of War

[@ChromaHK]

man im dead 💀

[@alexandrabej187]

This is just hilarious. Nice trade, US! Lol

[@Alex_1400]

The US govt only did it because Kanye West (Ye) was set to meet with Putin and plead for Griner’s release. They ended up making this lopsided exchange to prevent the publicity for him

[@Silverizael]

It's a great trade actually. Get the person who should have never been arrested anyways away from Russia, release the guy who was going to be released in just over a year anyways for time served.

[@alexandrabej187]

@@Silverizael is that true? If so I guess it IS a good trade.

[@riggsmarkham922]

@@alexandrabej187 and it also seems like this was the only trade on offer by the Russians and also it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll actually be a threat anymore (who would buy millions in arms from a guy who was just in American prison for arms dealing - also, there aren’t really any more vulnerable post-Soviet military bases to plunder for arms).

[@shermalvevo8707]

@@Silverizaelthat’s cap he had a little over a decade to serve and how is it a fair trade a wnba player for a guy named “merchant of death” are you fr 😂

[@BuildinWings]

All these pro-gun Republicans in the comments admitting that guns are tools of death, implying that this dude is responsible for what was done with them. Love to see it.

[@faucetcupz2436]

He has the best nickname ever in modern times.

[@indrairawan.]

he goot cool nickname , now i want it

[@URWELCOME]

Isn't this is CAPITALISM

[@LuizOMenudo]

FINALLY someone said it

[@KingshukMonsur]

no it's wrong when it's not the Americans

[@violaballs]

Ok, what he did is just plain evil. But what is illegal bout it? Can someone explain why he’s in a US prison?

[@moosegoose3159]

@@Dimitris_Balf you can’t imprison evil, because evil is subjective.

[@moosegoose3159]

@@Dimitris_Balf It's not though. Abortion can and cannot be considered evil for example.

[@moosegoose3159]

@@Dimitris_Balf Abortion is punishable in some societies by law. Again what's your point.

[@Cyborg_Lenin]

Us doesn't like competition. Thats why.

[@ProfAzimov]

He was providing weaponry to terrorist organizations

[@thomaschristopherwhite9043]

Griner is worth about 10 nongshim ramen packs and a macha kitkat. And the US traded her for Lord of War.

[@nazzydestroyer1884]

That music In the background is goated🐐

[@lastthursday1416]

Average Americans are all about, "no one gets left behind." Up until the person behind is someone they don't like. Now galf the country is complaining that we saved someone.

[@Dezeberbro]

A lot of those weapons are being used today, the good thing is that if they break, spare parts are almost impossible to come by.

[@georgyekimov4577]

since he is free now guess whats comming back

[@EmpanadaDeCaca]

You have no idea what you're talking about and it shows. If there is armament that is known for having plentiful of cheap spare parts is soviet weapons

[@oofbih6397]

The US: “We’re mad cause we didnt do it first”

[@hattemh6535]

The biggest weapons producer in the world calls someone the merchant of death😮

[@scaredhunter672ded5]

Superstar ? Nobody knew her before this

[@dblewis1779]

Try to get past the media hype people. Who named him the merchant of death. Oddly he was barely valued enough to be traded for a WNBA player.

[@Max-ve5tu]

I don't know about you, but a guy that sold weapons to armed conflicts is a pretty bad man in my book.

[@angeld23]

it was more of a hostage negotiation than a trade

[@PeterPan-xe7qw]

@@Max-ve5tu I guess, but you’d have to say the US is worse than him then, they were just mad he was taking their profits.

[@pulverizedpeanuts]

real life richard roper

[@voyegerkane2301]

You just couldn't stop his grindset

[@Lileyebrows]

An absolute disgrace that we traded a woman who can barely throw a ball and brought drugs into a country which is known to not allow drugs, for a dude called the merchant a death, all while we still have people in prison here for having a little bit of weed.

[@Silverizael]

A woman who had less than 100 milligrams of marijuana? And the guy who was done with most of his sentence and who has no more connections anyways in his old position? He's a merchant who no longer can do his job anymore. And we shouldn't have people in jail for weed either.

[@davidalacabo4298]

@@Silverizael u REALLY think he has no more connections A man like him has back ups in case he gets out A secret cache involving a list of people who owe him and some money Anyone in this trade has at least something like that

[@rajashashankgutta4334]

​@@Silverizael that guy is responsible for many hundreds of thousands of deaths.

[@j.kearney484]

Brittney Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist? So yes, she can 'throw a ball'. She had brought vape cartriges which used marijuana-based oil, and she had a doctors prescription for medicinal marijuana which she uses to treat joint inflammation. That prescription wasn't recognised in Russia, but it's not literal weed. That's just a lie. Griner's 9 year sentence wasn't in a regular prison, it was a forced-labour prison colony in the Rep. of Mordovia. 'She described working up to 17-hour days in a sewing shop, sleep deprivation, freezing conditions, a lack of basic hygiene, dangerous and humiliating working conditions, and regular assaults on other prisoners.' Leader of the Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny, was also imprisoned in one such penal colony, and described it as a 'concentration camp'. While the Russian military is very much an embarrassment, it is not the same as it was in the 90s and 2000s. It has much more control over it's own assets, and it is much more difficult for someone like Bout to sell weapons on such an enormous scale so easily. His investigation and conviction essentially ruined his arms empire; he wouldn't have pleaded not-guilty if he didn't think so. Bout has lost much of his contacts and connections, and simply isn't as relevant in Russian politics beyond a PR 'victory' peice. So yea, don't spread misinformation

[@franciscoacevedo3036]

​@@SilverizaelI'll call you invredneck logic slayer

[@willt.9654]

Y’all need to stop calling this a trade. It‘s a hostage negotiation.

[@SlavaSlavenima]

when the country holding her hostage is a permanent member on The UN Security Council… you kinda have to call it a prisoner exchange

[@obviouslymatt6452]

bruh it’s a trade how is it not a trade

[@TheRoadrunn]

She break the law of russia 🤣. Marijuana is banned there

[@crimsonfungus]

🤓

[@Sicaoisdead]

When you order groceries online and they substitute fresh salmon for tinned sardines.

[@biharibabu9141]

Heck yeah

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

The USSR collapsed in 1991.

[@siregg8528]

Only in the WNBA will there be "superstars" that literally no one has ever heard of

[@YoItsEvanAdams]

That's just sports in general

[@theowlfromduolingo7982]

Angola for example already had military equipment because in the years prior, it was already supported by the GDR, Cuba and the USSR. Also, some military equipment was already there due to the Portuguese colonization era.

[@Jesus420.69]

“Superstar” lol

[@turnoff7572]

As someone from Europe, we see USA as an absolute joke for this.

[@SlavaSlavenima]

I see the US government as a joke for this, also and I’m an American

[@dinty7265]

@@SlavaSlavenima the guy isn’t dangerous anymore he’s old and it doesn’t really matter lol, idk why everyone is acting like we freed someone who’s gonna start ww3

[@imaginehavingpfp5779]

​@@dinty7265 How is being old make him not dangerous?

[@dinty7265]

@@imaginehavingpfp5779 he’s been sitting in prison for years he’s done… do you really think the us would release an active and dangerous arms dealer?? I don’t think so, but if that guy ends up doing something bad, then you have proved me wrong…

[@imaginehavingpfp5779]

Time will tell i guess

[@jaydeepsen4769]

C'mon dude had to feed his family and make a living. He was the sole bread earner

[@revolvency]

I think you / the video with editor forgot to install your usual fonts 👀

[@DVSDoge]

Bro, this dude is literally the jackal from far cry 2

[@Amir-gu4qp]

“Superstar”

[@connor_mosteller8668]

you know who else "isn't safe" Paul Whelen let's go Brandon

[@Abrody1477]

The guy that was dishonorably discharged that was born in Canada with US, British, Irish and Canadian citizenship that was arrested in 2018 for spying charges?

[@Silverizael]

The dishonorably discharged soldier involved in smuggling stuff in Russia? What about him?

[@Gen5g23]

Wow 😮

[@BrandonCuringtonOfficial]

Bro is a Call of Duty villain 💀💀

[@newname3765]

I thought he was like a scary assassin, nah he’s just like every other government ever

[@32123ABCBA]

And we swapped him for a random WBNA star that doesn’t support america, instead of a US marine

[@Un_pendejo65]

The real jackal from far cry 2

[@izzy5415]

"It's just good business" -Admiral Beckett

[@DeepValueOptions]

In fact, every politician is sold into the hands of the super rich. But the superrich is the poorest person on the earth. He has succeeded in being important, in being powerful, but he has lost his soul. Inside, there is just emptiness and darkness. -Osho

[@tonitonelo]

interesting. = )

[@ABel-oi5kv]

A lot of Merchants of Death all over the western & Eastern World ...Somehow we only hear 'bout this Vladimir Mustache character.

[@jaypandya7441]

He is not the merchant of death. The merchant of death is Sir Basil Zaharoff

[@deathyyyyy]

Who cares about someone who died in 1930s? Terrible comment

[@jaypandya7441]

@@deathyyyyy the irony. A title sticks throughout history. It doesn't change cause someone is too lazy to do a little reading

[@Ce0ammer]

The toleratable 2016 film war dogs comes to mind.

[@MacrobianNomad]

The film “Lord Of War” is about him.

[@houser2094]

I like this man

[@PepeSi1via]

Wait is he straight? It seemed important to tell us her sexuality for some reason so...

[@norbitcleaverhook5040]

Because she was unsafe apparently. Unlike the American spy who got arrested. His safety was secure? I dont think so.

[@Just_a_Goth]

Russia doesn't like non straight people.

[@norbitcleaverhook5040]

@@Just_a_Goth Nice work over generalising.

[@Just_a_Goth]

@@norbitcleaverhook5040 I'm talking about the government, not its people. I would have said "Russians" if I meant that.

[@norbitcleaverhook5040]

@@Just_a_Goth I'd say being an American is more likely to cause her issues than her sexuality.

[@blackcatgoodluck]

And we released him....

[@liammichael.1202]

No we traded him…. He’s still a prisoner 😂 the guy is a war criminal…..

[@32123ABCBA]

And we traded him for a WNBA star who hates America instead of a marine

[@shurngirdleh3936]

If that’s the criteria to be called “merchant of death” shouldn’t America be called “the land of the death merchants”?