The White House revealed an American is one of three hostages released from Belarus on Wednesday.
The news comes the day after Marc Fogel, an American who had been detained in Russia since 2021, landed back in the U.S. on Tuesday.
When asked by reporters on Tuesday whether the U.S. had given up anything in return for Fogel, Trump replied “not much” without offering additional details. (RELATED: Report: Trump Says Russia Agreed To ‘Immediately’ Begin Negotiations To End Ukraine War)
As part of the deal the U.S. is releasing Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, a Trump administration official told Fox News on Wednesday.
Vinnik was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges. He was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said the Russian prisoner’s name would be revealed when he returns home.
“Recently, work has been intensified through the relevant agencies, there have been contacts,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters, according to the Associated Press. “And these contacts have led to the release of Fogel, 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.”
Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana.
Anne Fogel, his sister, told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that she is “so happy to have this massive boulder” lifted off her shoulders with her brother’s release.
“I am so incredibly grateful to the president,” she added. “Just amazing.”
Fogel said her brother’s situation has “taken a toll” on her family but they “can’t even believe that he is safe and at home and can get medical attention.”
“I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now,” Fogel said alongside Trump. “I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all and President Trump is a hero. These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes. The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor to get me home are heroes. I am in awe of what they all did.”
Trump spoke about his meeting with Malphine at his July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he told her he would do everything he could to free her son.
“When I saw the mother at a rally, she said, ‘If you win, will you get my son out?’ And I promised—she’s 95-years-old—and I said, ‘We’ll get him out,’ and we got him out pretty quickly. She made quite an impression.”
