Russia frees jailed American, US calls a step toward end of Ukraine war

WASHINGTON:

Marc Fogel

, an American history teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia, has been released and returned to the US in what the

White House

described as a

diplomatic thaw

that could advance negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a Russian citizen was freed in the US in exchange for Moscow's release of American Marc Fogel. Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Trump, left

Russia

with Fogel and brought him to the White House late Tuesday. "I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now," Fogel said as he stood next to Trump. Trump said another American would be released on Wednesday. The US will release Russian Alexander Vinnik, a suspected cybercrime kingpin, as part of an exchange with Russia, the NYT reported on Wednesday. Vinnik operated BTC-e, once one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges.