The Kremlin said Wednesday, February 12, that a Russian citizen was freed in the United States in exchange for Moscow’s release of American Marc Fogel, but refused to identify them until they arrive in Russia.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the unidentified individual would return to Russia "in the coming days," and when they are on Russian soil, their name would be revealed – unlike during past prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Washington, when Russians and Americans were released simultaneously and their identities were revealed right away.
"Recently, work has been intensified through the relevant agencies, there have been contacts," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. "And these contacts have led to the release of Vogel, as well as one of the citizens of the Russian Federation, who is currently being held in custody in the United States. This citizen of the Russian Federation will also be returned to Russia in the coming days."
Asked by reporters if the Russian released as part of the deal could be Alexander Vinnik, Peskov said that the name of the man being freed would be announced upon his return. Vinnik, arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the US on cryptocurrency fraud charges, was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demurred when asked to elaborate on the deal that led to Fogel's release, saying that such contacts "love silence" and deploring that Washington rushed to announce Fogel's release. "Our American colleagues have chosen to announce the results, we have a different approach to the agreements reached," he said. "For efficient diplomacy, we prefer to observe confidentiality agreements."
Fogel, an American history teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia, has been released and was returned to the US on Tuesday in what the White House described as a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison sentence.
Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for US President Donald Trump, left Russia with Fogel and brought him to the White House, where Trump greeted him. "I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now," Fogel said as he stood next to Trump with an American flag draped around his shoulders.
Fogel, who is from Pennsylvania and was expected to be reunited with his family by the end of the day, said that he would forever be indebted to Trump.
The president declined to say if he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Fogel, but Fogel praised the Russian leader as "very generous and statesmanlike in granting me a pardon." Asked about the terms of the deal, Trump said: "Very fair, very, very fair, very reasonable. Not like deals you’ve seen over the years. They were very fair." He didn't say what the United States provided in exchange for Fogel’s release.