MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. The homecoming of Russian national Alexander Vinnik, wrongfully sentenced in the US, has brought delight to President Vladimir Putin and the entire nation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Commenting on Moscow’s response to the prisoner exchange compared to how the US welcomed the return of Marc Fogel, convicted in Russia, Peskov said: "All of us, including the Russian president, always feel elation when a Russian citizen imprisoned in the United States without cause returns home."
When asked if Putin planned to reach out to Vinnik, Peskov said: "I don’t have information on that at the moment."
Alexander Vinnik, who was detained in Greece in 2017 at the request of the United States, returned to Russia under an agreement between the two nations. In the US, the Russian was accused of laundering $4-9 bln through the now defunct crypto exchange BTC-e. He was extradited to the United States in August 2022.
Vinnik’s mother Vera told TASS that her son was now slowly adjusting to normal life. He has already reunited with his kids, who had grown during his absence, and even taken them to school despite his delayed arrival.
US national Marc Fogel, who had been convicted in Russia on drug smuggling charges, returned to his home country a short while ago. The Kremlin said that the prisoner swap represented a step towards enhancing mutual trust between Moscow and Washington.