‘Merchant of Death’ Viktor Bout offers prisoner swap solution with Russia to free held Aussie Oscar Jenkins

The world’s most notorious arms dealer, Viktor Bout, AKA “The Merchant of Death”, has warned Australia the only hope of getting captured Melbourne soldier Oscar Jenkins back is a prison swap deal with Russia.

Russian gun-runner Bout, himself the subject of the most high-profile prisoner exchange in decades, says his own case could serve as the template for Jenkins’ freedom.

In a wide-ranging interview, Bout, 58, has given rare insights into a sweep of controversial issues including Russia’s potential interference in Australia’s upcoming elections, the Trump Presidency, the future of Ukraine and the possibility of nuclear war.

Speaking from an undisclosed location in Moscow, Bout, formerly one of the world’s most wanted men, says Jenkins faces inevitable long-term imprisonment in Russia for his involvement in the Ukraine war.

“Unfortunately, what’s happened to Oscar Jenkins, he’s not covered by the Geneva Convention for prisoners of war,” he said. “He is a mercenary.”

“So, in this case he has to be prosecuted and will face indictment for this activity.”

That’s despite comments from Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong in late January, in which she said Moscow had been told that the former teacher is a “prisoner of war” and as such, was obligated to be treated “in accordance with international humanitarian law”.

Jenkins, 32, travelled to Ukraine last year to enlist to fight with the Ukrainian military but was captured by Russian troops in December.

In Bout’s exclusive interview with 7NEWS — his first ever with Australian media — he claimed a prisoner exchange was Jenkins’ only chance at freedom.

“Your government has to establish proper channel to start negotiations about that,” he said.

Bout’s prison swap came after 10 years in a US prison. For decades he ran a global aviation company accused of supplying murderous dictators and despots worldwide with everything from fighter planes to missiles and munitions.

He even became the inspiration for the 2005 Hollywood blockbuster movie “Lord of War”. Played by Nicolas Cage, Bout was portrayed as an international war criminal who fuelled death and violence across continents.

“Unfortunately, Hollywood was part of this propaganda effort to demonise me,” he said.

He says Australia has three potential candidates for the swap - Igor and Kira Korolov, who were arrested last year on spying charges, and the so-called “Aussie Cossack” Simeon Boikov, who took refuge in the Russian Consulate in Sydney two years ago to avoid an assault charge at a Ukraine peace rally.

“We have at least three Russian citizens. Simeon Boikov is spending two years in the Russian embassy unable to get out. He’s already repeating the same fate as Julian Assange,” he said.

“The same is true for Kira and Igor Korolov, (who have) also been arrested and allegedly indicted with spying charges.”

He says the Australian Government needs to offer a three-for-one deal, suggesting Jenkins’ charges are the most serious.

“Definitely it would be a good gesture if Australia do the first step and releases these Russians,” he said.

“Russia definitely would answer for that good gesture then you will see the very good news at least for the family of Oscar Jenkins.”

In December video emerged showing that Jenkins had been captured by Russian forces. The footage also showed him being repeatedly hit by his interrogator.

Soon after, rumours circulated among other Australian fighters on the ground that Jenkins had been executed.

However, in January, Ms Wong revealed he was still alive.

“The Australian government has received confirmation from Russia that Oscar Jenkins is alive and in custody,” she said.

Bout, now an ultra-nationalist politician with the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, said he had no independent news of Jenkins’ condition, but claimed he would be looked after in custody.

“One thing I would assure is that he will be treated fairly. He was provided all necessary medical assistance,” he said.

“I guess this information will be passed to your Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

He added that Jenkins was fortunate to be captured in a region currently controlled by the Russian Federation.

“He’s lucky. If it happened a year before, he definitely would have faced a death penalty according to the laws of the Donetsk People’s Republic.”

Rise of the ‘Merchant of Death’

A former member of Russia’s armed forces, Bout is said to have launched his aviation company after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, sourcing his aircraft from abandoned military airfields. He was reportedly once recruited by the KGB, but also worked for the US running supplies into Iraq. He held five passports and spoke six languages. He was accused of running arms for everyone from Islamic State’s Filipino offshoot Abu Sayyaf to the Taliban and al-Qaeda - all charges which he denies.

But in 2008, he was arrested in Thailand on terrorism charges after a complex sting operation run by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, the DEA.

He had agreed to sell millions of dollars’ worth of weapons, including armour-piercing rocket launchers and surface-to-air missile systems, to undercover agents he thought were arms buyers from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, a classified terrorist group under US law.

He was then extradited to the US, tried and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

However, in 2022 he won his freedom in a covert US-Russia swap deal that saw him exchanged on the tarmac of an Abu Dhabi airport in return for detained US basketball star Brittney Griner.’

“I was labelled, especially by American media, as The Merchant of Death. I would rather take all these labels with a big grain of salt,” Bout said.

Bout has always insisted he simply ran an aviation business, describing himself as “just the taxi driver”.

He even claimed the world’s major airlines could be accused of the same act as him, which he described as “transporting defence cargo”.

“Look, every airline, including Qantas the Australian airline, are transporting the defence cargo, including the arms. So why on earth do you say ‘Did you know?’ Yes of course I knew! So what’s wrong with that, it all was legal,” he said.

“If one country is giving you permission to take this cargo, another country giving you permission to bring it in, what is illegal in that?! Tell me!”

He says the movie and his constant depiction in the media as the world’s most prolific arms supplier was a set-up.

“Because this how you prepare your population - you need to start blaming somebody. Make out of this huge myth and then put out books, flood it with movies, get documentaries. Nobody cares what is the reality.”

He claims the charges were a stitch-up.

“This is again the magic glue that the American Justice system has. If they don’t have any stuff on you, they just charge you with a conspiracy. Like they used to say in the southern district of New York, they can indict a ham sandwich just for being a ham sandwich.”

Reflections on a ‘romantic’ past

So, what did he actually think of the movie?

“Well, I would suggest if they would come to me, I would definitely contribute and make the script way better. Because in this case … it’s an improper depiction of myself. I’ve never been involved in the global sales of the guns and all those dealings,” he said.

He also claims his life running the “aviation operation” is long behind him.

“Look, I’m just a normal Russian citizen patriot of my country,” he said.

“I’m more into the political activities inside Russia now.”

However, in October last year, the Wall Street Journal newspaper claimed he was back in business, trying to broker small arms sales to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia.

In what is believed to be Bout’s first and only on-record reaction to the allegation, he gave a robust denial:

“Oh yes - and I’m still eating babies for breakfast! Don’t forget to mention that please!” he said.

“I don’t wish to comment on all that kind of bullshit.”

He did, however, admit he misses his old life.

“Well, yes you know, it’s on the one hand, romantic and a proper profession for a man to do.”

Bout’s company at one time boasted 60 aircraft and 300 pilots and personnel. It made him extremely rich.

“Well, yes you know. I can’t complain about that one,” he said.

He denies he ever flew any aviation operations for the Australian Government, but says he flew some around the South Pacific.

“I think we have a couple of charters out of Tonga, is my memory. Basically, that’s it,” he said.

‘Warm’ relations with Australia turn frosty

Bout also called for an end to Russian-Australian hostilities and said it was time to repair the relationship.

“Here in Russia we used to have a warm feeling to the Australians, but unfortunately in last five or six years Australia signed up blindly to every sanction which the west would pen. And this makes kind of a bitter taste of what’s going on with our relations with Australia.”

He also dismissed concerns that Russia was using or would use cyber attacks to interfere in the upcoming Federal elections.

“Let’s deal with the facts. Do you have any facts proven that Russia or the Russian Government are being deeply involved or meddling with Australian or even American elections? Apparently not,” he stated.

His defiant stance came despite a documented campaign of interference against Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential elections and further disinformation and propaganda operations against the Democrats in last year’s elections.

He also denied any provocation from Russia towards Australia, instead accusing the latter of being the antagonist.

“Definitely what Australia does is everything to harm us, (but the) Russian federation do not pull these kinds of sanctions on Australia.”

“I don’t see why Australia and Russia couldn’t have good, friendly relations. There is a lot where our countries can be very helpful to each other, on economic links, on education, on technologies, on common activities to improve Pacific region. To make the Pacific region a region of stability - this is number one issue.”

However, he refuses to acknowledge Russia’s invasion of Ukraine fundamentally fractured relations and that it warranted international sanction. He says Australia’s military and financial support of the war effort would only prolong the suffering.

“It’s a choice of your government to join the sanctions. It’s a choice of your government to support and send all kind of weapons to the Ukrainian side. It will only protract this conflict,” he said.

“Look, without western support, this conflict will end. I would guess, it would not even last one month,” he said.

“Everybody knows that this conflict will end up on Russian conditions (terms).”

And he doubts US President Donald Trump will be able to achieve his pledge to end the war.

“Well, first of all, you remember Trump was saying on the election trail he would end this conflict within 24 hours, with just a couple of telephone calls. Unfortunately, it’s not happening,” he said.

Bout in fact predicts a chaotic future for the United States under President Trump, even the possibility of civil war and a dystopian state.

But he dismissed concerns about the unpredictable, volatile nature of the 78-year-old President, or his expansionist intentions toward Greenland, Panama and Gaza.

“It’s very difficult to scare the Russian Government or scare the Russian people. Through our history we face many scares but we never surrendered and we’ve never been conquered.”

“For the Russian Federation, Trump is not a threat. If he wants to have a dialogue, Russia always ready for the dialogue.”

But the man who for years was accused of fuelling every major civil war and conflict on the planet, said he thought the world was closer to conflict than it ever had been.

“Russian people clearly see the danger … that we might face a serious conflict,” he warned.

“Unfortunately, we’re living in a very precarious time. The world is now closer to a world war nuclear conflict like never before.”

“Do we really want this entire beautiful planet to perish in a nuclear exchange? I don’t think so.”

Perhaps if anyone is qualified to talk about the possibility of war, it’s the Merchant of Death.

Watch Chris Reason’s exclusive report tonight on 7NEWS at 6pm