FILE PHOTO: Alleged arms smuggler Viktor Bout from Russia is escorted by a member of the special police unit as he arrives at a criminal court in Bangkok October 4, 2010. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj//File Photo
The prisoner exchange deal to swap Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for US basketball star Brittney Griner should not be seen as a step toward improving bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington, Russian state news agencies quoted the Kremlin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said relations between the two countries remained in a “sorry state,” the TASS news agency reported.
