Russian crypto expert Alexander Vinnik returns to Moscow in prisoner swap

Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the United States, returned to Russia on Thursday after being freed in a swap that saw Moscow release American Marc Fogel, Russian news agencies reported.

Alexander Vinnik arrived in Moscow on a flight from Turkey, where he was flown after being released from custody in California, Russia's state Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies reported, citing Russian aviation officials and his lawyer.

Vinnik, who operated cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the US on cryptocurrency fraud charges and was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for US President Donald Trump, left Russia with Fogel earlier in the week and brought him to the White House, where Trump greeted him on Tuesday.

Fogel, an American history teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained by Russia, was arrested in August 2021 for possession of marijuana and was serving a 14-year prison sentence. The White House said his release was part of a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump suggested that prisoner swap could help anchor a peace deal on Ukraine, saying: We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually. I hope that's the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war.

The following day, Trump and Putin had a lengthy phone call to discuss Ukraine and other issues.