Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the unidentified man would return to Russia “in the coming days.” He said that unlike previous prisoner swaps between Moscow and Washington, when Russian and American citizens were released simultaneously and their identities were immediately revealed, this time his name would be made public when he returns to Russia.
“Recently, work has been intensified along the relevant departments, there have been contacts,” Peskov said in a teleconference with reporters. “And the result of these contacts was the release of Fogel, as well as one of the citizens of the Russian Federation who is currently being held in places of detention in the United States. This citizen of the Russian Federation will also be returned to Russia in the coming days.”
When asked by reporters whether the Russian citizen freed as part of the deal was Alexander Vinnik, Peskov said the name of the freedman would be announced upon his return to Russia.
Who is Alexander Vinnik?
Vinnik, who was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the United States on cryptocurrency fraud charges, was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to launder money.
Meanwhile, Fogel, an American history teacher deemed arbitrarily detained by Russia, was released and returned to the United States on Tuesday in what the White House described as a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine.
Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
U.S. Special Envoy to President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, left Russia with Fogel and brought him to the White House, where Trump greeted him.
Fogel, who is from Pennsylvania, is expected to be reunited with his family.
Trump declined to say whether he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about Fogel, and Trump did not say what the United States would give in exchange for Fogel's release.
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