Alexander Vinnik’s release came when an unknown US citizen was also released by Russian ally Belarus in a separate deal.
A Russian cyber criminal chief was released from prison in the United States after Moscow published the American teacher Marc Fogel.
Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency chopper and money washer, was in Northern California on Wednesday and was waiting for the transport to Russia, the Reuters news agency reports, citing anonyme Trump administration official.
Vinnik had to expire the US government more than 100 million US dollars before it was returned, an official said.
Vinnik was arrested for money laundering in Greece in 2017 and delivered to the United States in May 2024. In May 2024, he was guilty of his cryptocurrency exchange, BTC-E.
The US teacher Fogel, who was released from prison on Tuesday from Russia, served a 14-year imprisonment for drug smuggling after being caught at a Moscow airport with a small amount of medical marijuana in 2021.
The 63-year-old flew to Washington on the same day, where he celebrated his release with Trump in the White House.
Mike Waltz, National Security Adviser, said Fogel’s publication serves as “serves as a show of the good faith of the Russians and as a sign that we go in the right direction to end brutal and terrible war in Ukraine”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the exchange of prisoners contributed to rebuilding the trust between Washington and Moscow, but dampened the suggestions that this could lead to a breakthrough in Ukraine.
“Of course, such agreements are hardly able to become a groundbreaking moment, but at the same time, bit by bit, these are steps to build mutual trust, which is now lowest,” said Peskov.
In a separate agreement that was announced on Wednesday, the White House also confirmed the release of another US citizen, which in Belarus, a close Russian ally, served a prison.
The White House, which did not name the prisoner, announced the publication as a “remarkable victory” for the Trump administration and as proof of the president’s “dealmaking ability”.
“The strong leadership of President Trump has led to the release of an American imprisoned in Belarus and two political prisoners,” said Foreign Minister Marco Rubio.
“We remain committed to the release of other US citizens in Belarus and elsewhere,” he added.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a media outlet financed by the US government, which was described as Andrey Kuznechyk, which was arrested by the authorities in November 2021 and journalist of the Belarus service, which was referred to from the Belarusian capital of Vilnius. the network is.
In a press release, the White House said that the release was the 11th of a US citizen who had been detained abroad since Trump started his office at the end of the last month.
The release of prisoners is part of a wider diplomatic thrust of the White House to restore relationships with Moscow and to end the war in Ukraine – which Trump had obliged to do “within 24 hours” after he had the oath during his presidential campaign had rejected.
On Wednesday, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone and agreed to start negotiations on a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump said he thought he was “on the way to getting peace” after the hourly call.
