The United States announces the release of a significant Russian prisoner

On Wednesday, a Trump administration official reported that the United States released Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik as part of a deal to secure the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia since 2021.

Fogel was released last Tuesday, and a plane carrying him landed in the United States that same night.

Vinnik, a Russian citizen arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the United States on charges of cryptocurrency-related fraud, was later extradited to the United States, where last year he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, the name of the released Russian prisoner will be revealed when he returns to his country. Peskov confirmed that negotiations between the relevant agencies of both countries have led to the release of both Fogel and the Russian prisoner, who will be repatriated in the coming days.

Marc Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport for drug possession, which his family and advocates claimed was prescription marijuana for medical purposes. Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Marc's sister, Anne Fogel, expressed her immense relief and gratitude for her brother's release, mentioning that the stress of his situation had been a burden on the family. "I'm incredibly grateful to the president", said Anne, who also shared that her brother will now be able to receive medical attention.

After arriving in the United States, Fogel met with President Donald Trump at the White House and called him a hero for securing his release.

"I want you to know that I'm not a hero in this. President Trump is the hero", said Fogel, also thanking the diplomats and lawmakers who helped in his release.

When Trump was asked if the United States had conceded anything in exchange for Fogel's release, the president replied "not much", without offering further details on the terms of the agreement.

This prisoner exchange occurs in a context of tense relations between the United States and Russia, but it also reflects a diplomatic effort to solve cases of detained prisoners in both countries.

Meanwhile, the White House happily announced that three prisoners were additionally released from Belarus, a state affiliated with Russia.

U.S. government officials noted that no prisoners were released in exchange and that the American citizen and the two Belarusians released are at the United States embassy in Lithuania.