MOSCOW (AP) — President Donald Trump says helium and Russian President Vladimir Putin person agreed to statesman “negotiations” connected ending Ukraine war.

The Republican said successful a societal media station Wednesday disclosing a telephone betwixt the 2 leaders that they would “work together, precise closely.”

The telephone followed a captive swap that resulted successful Russia releasing American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, of Pennsylvania, aft much than 3 years of detention.

Alexander Vinnik, a convicted Russian criminal, is being freed arsenic portion of a swap that saw Moscow’s merchandise of Fogel, 2 U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday. The officials spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon the swap.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

Alexander Vinnik, a convicted Russian criminal, is being freed arsenic portion of a swap that saw Moscow’s merchandise of American Marc Fogel, 2 U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday.

Vinnik was arrested successful 2017 successful Greece astatine the petition of the U.S. connected cryptocurrency fraud charges and was aboriginal extradited to the United States wherever helium pleaded blameworthy past twelvemonth to conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering. He is presently successful custody successful California awaiting transport to instrumentality to Russia, the officials said, speaking connected the information of anonymity to sermon the swap.

The Kremlin said Wednesday that a Russian national was freed successful the United States successful speech for Fogel but refused to place him until helium arrives successful Russia.

President Donald Trump welcomed Fogel, who's from Pennsylvania, astatine the White House Tuesday evening aft his instrumentality to U.S. soil.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin said Wednesday that a Russian national was freed successful the United States successful speech for Moscow’s merchandise of American Marc Fogel, but refused to place him until helium arrives successful Russia.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the unidentified idiosyncratic would instrumentality to Russia “in the coming days,” and his sanction would beryllium revealed erstwhile helium returns location — dissimilar during past captive exchanges betwixt Moscow and Washington, erstwhile Russians and Americans were released simultaneously and their identities were revealed close away.

“Recently, enactment has been intensified done the applicable agencies, determination person been contacts,” Peskov said successful a league telephone with reporters. “And these contacts person led to the merchandise of Fogel, arsenic good arsenic 1 of the citizens of the Russian Federation, who is presently being held successful custody successful the United States. This national of the Russian Federation volition besides beryllium returned to Russia successful the coming days.”

Asked by reporters if the Russian released arsenic portion of the woody could beryllium Alexander Vinnik, Peskov said that the sanction of the antheral being freed would beryllium announced upon his return. Vinnik, arrested successful 2017 successful Greece astatine the petition of the U.S. connected cryptocurrency fraud charges. was aboriginal extradited to the United States wherever helium pleaded blameworthy past twelvemonth to conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demurred erstwhile asked to elaborate connected the woody that led to Fogel's release, saying that specified contacts “love silence” and deploring that Washington rushed to denote Fogel's release.

“Our American colleagues person chosen to denote the results, we person a antithetic attack to the agreements reached,” helium said. “For businesslike diplomacy, we similar to observe confidentiality agreements.”

Fogel, an American past teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia, has been released and was returned to the U.S. connected Tuesday successful what the White House described arsenic a diplomatic thaw that could beforehand negotiations to extremity the warring successful Ukraine. Fogel was arrested successful August 2021 and was serving a 14-year situation sentence.

Steve Witkoff, a peculiar envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump, near Russia with Fogel and brought him to the White House, wherever Trump greeted him. Fogel, who is from Pennsylvania, was expected to beryllium reunited with his family.

Trump declined to accidental if helium spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin astir Fogel and didn't accidental what the United States provided successful speech for Fogel’s release.

Speaking to reporters astatine the White House connected Tuesday, Trump suggested that Fogel's merchandise could assistance anchor a bid woody connected Ukraine, saying: “We were treated precise nicely by Russia, actually. I anticipation that’s the opening of a narration wherever we tin extremity that war.”

The Kremlin was much cautious, but it besides noted that the woody could assistance fortify communal trust.

“Such agreements tin hardly service arsenic a turning point, but they are small steps toward gathering communal confidence, which is astatine its lowest level,” Peskov said.