Officials say that the United States is exporting Russia online to Moscow

Three US officials said on Wednesday that the Trump administration was preparing to release a Russian electronic criminal as part of the exchange of prisoners, which led to the release of an American teacher from a Russian prison.

The officials were preparing to release Alexander Phoenic, who admitted to be guilty of money laundering in 2024, to Russia as part of Mubarak Fujel, according to the three officials. One of the officials said that Mr. Vinnik is the infrinist perpetrator and loses tens of millions of dollars in the origins of the stock exchange.

Officials spoke on the condition that his identity is not disclosed to discuss special diplomatic negotiations.

In a post on his website, President Trump said late on Wednesday morning that he had a “very productive” call with President Vladimir Finn from Russia to start working towards a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Mr. Trump told the correspondents on Tuesday, when he was waiting for Mr. Vulgel’s arrival to the United States, that his administration had circulated with “not a lot” – which indicates that he had obtained better than the deal – and later described it as “very” “” fair “exchange.

But they saw the exchange as an attempt to prove goodwill, as the administration is looking for ways to make a settlement of peace in the war in Ukraine almost three years ago.

Mr. Vogel’s release was negotiated by Steve Witkeov, the friend of Mr. Trump for decades and his Middle East envoy, whose wallet has expanded to help find a way to end the war in Ukraine. Mr. Wittouf flew to Russia on his own plane, then Mr. Fujel brought home on that plane, and to the White House to meet Mr. Trump.

“I think they have a great friendship,” Mr. Witkev said Outside the White House on Wednesday, referring to Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump. “I now think it will continue, and I think it’s really good for the world.”

Mr. Witkeov’s visit to Russia was the first by a senior US official since before the invasion of Russia in February 2022 to Ukraine. The journey, according to two people, was part of new communication by the Trump administration to the Kremlin, which could lead to the rebuilding of a channel of communication between the White House and Mr. Putin.

On Tuesday, Fox News Hanity, an intimate friend of Mr. Trump and Mr. Whitkov, said on Tuesday that Mr. Witkeov held a meeting with Mr. Putin that lasted for more than three hours. Mr. Witkev refused to address this in a separate interview with Fox News on Wednesday morning, but he attributed many Trump administration officials to help work towards exchange, including White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wales, and CIA director John Ratcliffe.

Mr. Trump has appointed Keith Keel, a three -star retired general, to be his own envoy to Ukraine and Russia. But he also appointed Mr. Witkeov a role in trying to work on the Russian side of the peace deal. People said with some of his contacts in Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the master discussed the conflict with some of his contacts in Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Witkev told the correspondents that Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, as well as “a noble man from Russia, whose name was Kirill” was the key to securing the release of Mr. Fujel. It seems that Mr. Witkeov refers to Kirill Dimitriev, head of the sovereign wealth fund in Russia, and is a close partner of Mr. Putin, Relations With Mr. Bin Salman, and A rear channel request for Mr. Trump during his first term.

Mr. Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine with talks between the two sides and said he wanted to stop the loss of lives by both sides and stop the huge amount of money spent by the United States support Ukraine’s defense.

Mr. Zellinski is preparing for the main meetings with senior US officials at a major security conference in Germany later this week.

Mr. Phoenic was ready to travel to Russia early on Wednesday, according to an American official. Mr. Phoenic was charged in 2017 by overseeing Black Bitcoin exchange, known as BTC-E, who washed money. Federal public prosecutors said the stock exchange facilitated ransom attacks, identity stealing and other crimes.

Mr. Phoenic what He was arrested in Greece in July 2017The indictment against him said that he had ordered exchanges.

At the time of arrest, the Ministry of Justice said that the Bitcoin Stock Exchange washed more than $ 4 billion and used more than 700,000 people. The arrest of Mr. Phoenic led to an exchange, one of the largest at the time, is closed.

Mr. Phoenic Admit To conspire to commit money laundering last May. The Ministry of Justice officials said that Mr. Phoenic made the exchange with the intention of promoting electronic crimes.

In December 2020, he had been convicted by a French court and sentenced him to five years in prison. He was handed over to the United States in 2024, then was reserved in American prisons.

Dmitry S. said. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, earlier on Wednesday that extensive talks between the United States and Russia led to “the launch of both Vogel as well as a citizen of the Russian Federation who is currently being held in detention facilities in the United States” and said that Russia will not determine the prisoner until after his release .

Mr. Vogel, who spent more than three years in a Russian prison,

He was I received at the White House On Tuesday night by Mr. Trump, who praised him and thanked him for his launch arrangement.

Mr. Vogel, 63, was working at the American Moscow School for approximately 10 years before his arrest at Moscow Airport in August 2021. He found that he was traveling with hashish, whose lawyer said he was aiming to relieve back pain. In June 2022, Mr. Fajel was convicted of what the Russian authorities said that he was involved in “drug trafficking on a large scale” and was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a security prison.

US State Department Mr. Vogel announced “incorrectly detained” In December. This appointment – which his family described as long as it was late – that the case of Mr. Fujel has turned into a special office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on launching the hostages who were held abroad.

The family of Mr. Vogel said in December that he was “unimaginable difficulties” in prison, while the other Americans who were detained in Russia were brought to the house in three different prisoners’ signs.

Mr. Vinnik, in exchange for Mr. Fogel, coincides with a great departure from the design of the narrow dances of the disposal of the prisoners between Moscow and Washington during the Biden administration.

In high -level deals such as those that liberated the basketball star Britney Grener in 2022 And the journalist Ivan Geqsovic in 2024The Americans were transported to airports in a third country, where they were exchanged for the Russians at the airport runway.

This late approach allowed Mr. Trump to demand his uncompromising victory on Tuesday without discussing what the United States abandoned in exchange for Mr. Vogel.

Mr. Trump said that “we have dealt with Russia very well,” and that the deal could pave the way to the point of war in Ukraine. He added: “I hope this is the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war.”

Mr. Trump’s warm words were shown towards Russia after Mr. Vogel fired widely on Russian government television on Wednesday. Russian commentators praised the release of Mr. Vogel as a smart step from Mr. Putin to give Mr. Trump the political cover he needs to move forward with favorable policies to Russia.

“Trump has the right to do something good for Russia.”

Mr. Markov suggested that Mr. Trump can start lifting sanctions against Russia and pressure for a peace agreement in accordance with Russia’s conditions – or simply stop delivering weapons to Ukraine.