The Kremlin reacted with restraint to Bout’s decision to become a member of the far-right LDPR. But Putin’s closest ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Bout was a “pattern of toughness” that could be good at the head of any political force.
Recently released from an American prison and accused of smuggling weapons and collaborating with Colombian terrorists, Russian citizen Viktor Bout decided to enter big politics on his return to Russia. Leonid Slutsky, the leader of the political force, said Bout joined the ultranationalist LDPR party today, December 12.
“The LDPR party card was personally presented to Viktor Anatolyevich Bout today at the rally dedicated to the party’s 33rd anniversary,” the politician wrote in Telegram.
Kremlin’s reaction
Prominent Russian figures close to the Kremlin welcomed Bout’s entry into the Liberal Democratic Party. In particular, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian oligarch behind the Wagner mercenary group and a close friend of Vladimir Putin, spoke positively about Bout’s decision to join the party.
“Viktor Bout is not a person, he is an example of toughness, he will certainly be fine at the head of any existing party and any movement,” said Prigozhina.
Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, was very restrained in his comments on Bout’s decision. According to him, Viktor Bout’s political preferences do not concern the Kremlin, so his decision to join the Liberal Democratic Party is his own.
“It’s his personal choice. If he sees such a party perspective for himself, thank God. In that case, it’s his own business,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
Opinions of Russian political scientists
Political scientist Alyona August said in an interview with Vzglyad that Bout needed to rebuild her image after she was released. On the other hand, the Liberal Democratic Party is looking for its new strategy and new heroes after the death of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who led the party for many years. Therefore, solving these problems, the current president Leonid Slutsky turns to people like Viktor Bout. And although Slutsky was sometimes rejected, Bout apparently accepted out of gratitude, as Slutsky may have helped him in some way as chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Relations.
“Of course, Bout understands that he needs to rebuild his image after many years of hiatus. Also, his image as a whole is pretty vague today,” August said.
Western media comments
The Guardian observers write that Bout’s decision to get a party card for the far-right Liberal Democratic Party was not accidental, as political power often serves as a kind of springboard for questionable personalities in Russian politics. As an example, former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi is cited in the UK, who was accused of murdering Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, whose party won a seat in the Russian State Duma in 2007.
At the same time, Bout himself, whose release was presented as a major PR victory by Moscow, told Russian media on Monday that he does not plan to participate in any elections anytime soon.
Recall that on December 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the exchange of Viktor Bout with the American Brittney Griner, said that the special services of the two countries participated in the negotiation process, where the contacts between them did not cease. That’s why new swaps are possible, Putin said.
Source: Focus
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