Trump officials, who have negotiated more than three years to negotiate the release of Americans who were held prisons in Russian prisons, said in an interview with News Nation that they would not comment on whether the US released Russian prisoners in exchange Ta.
Steve Witkov, who was appointed as a Middle Eastern envoy by President Trump, also said in another interview with CNN whether he met or spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin while in Russia. .
Witkov was asked by News Nation reporter Kelly Meyer to reveal details of Mark Vogel's Tuesday release after Russia said there was a prisoner exchange, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio said He said there is no trade in the network.
“You know, I don't want to comment on it,” Witkoff told Meyer on Wednesday. “I don't know what's going on in the US today. It's important to put out Mark Vogel and I think the Russians were very helpful in that effort and were extremely kind.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian citizens owned it in US prisons. The Kremlin said it would not identify citizens until the individual returns to Russia.
The remarks from Russia contrast to those from the Trump administration. Tuesday evening exterior In News Nation, Rubio said it was “not a deal of any kind” with Russia, including the release of “10 Spies.” He emphasized Trump's leadership as a reason.
Witkov, who arrived in the US with Vogel on Tuesday evening, said he had no intention of commenting with Russia on the reported prisoner swap, but emphasized that Vogel's release was evidence of Trump's relationship with Putin. .
The Trump administration did not say whether they gave Russia anything in exchange for Vogel's release. But Mike Waltz, White House national security adviser said in a statement Trump's advisor “negotiated an exchange.”
The president also did not say whether he spoke to Putin or not. Witkov was asked how many times Trump spoke to Putin, but the envoy said he could not provide the information because he had no idea.
“I think they had great friendships and I think it's going to continue now, and that's really good for the world,” Witkov said.
Trump administration officials have touted Vogel's return as a step in the right direction to end Russia's three-year war with Ukraine.
Fogel was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to 14 years in prison after working in Moscow as a teacher. He knew he was carrying cannabis, but he said he was prescribed for back pain. The Russian indicted him in 2022 with “large drug smuggling,” but the Biden administration said he was in mistakenly detained.
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