President Trump on Tuesday received a release from an American imprisonment in Russia, which as part of a deal with the Kremlin negotiated by Mr Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Watkov.
In August 2021, a teacher arrested for bringing medical marijuana to Russia was released by the Kremlin by the Kremlin and flew out of the country on Mr Vicov’s plane. Although he began to sentence a 14 -year sentence in June 2022, Mr Fogle was only wrongly detained by the Biden administration at the end of last year.
Mr Watkov, a billionaire New York real estate executive and a close friend of Mr Trump, were secretly discussing the deal, though his presence in Moscow became clear when he was flying on his private jet. Line flight trackers flew from there. It was Moscow’s first -known journey by a senior US official, since CIA Director William J. Burns flew to the Russian capital to try to invade Ukraine in November 2021.
Mr Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz said in a statement that Mr. Watkov, on the direction of the president, brought Mr Fogle out of Russia to Russia as part of the exchange. But he did not provide any details about whether the United States or the ally had released someone in return or the administration had taken other steps to win Mr Fogle’s release.
Mr Waltz said, “President Trump, Steve Wetkov and the president’s advisers discussed a exchange of good faith by the Russians and a sign that we end the brutal and horrific war in Ukraine. The right direction is moving. “
It is unclear who met Mr Watkov and whether other issues, including Ukraine, were part of any debate. White House officials refused to comment on these questions. Dmitry S. Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, did not respond to a comment. He told reporters earlier the day that he had no “information” about Mr. Watkov’s aircraft reporting.
But this agreement, in the debate for several days, is a sign of good desire for both sides, which aims to pave the way for discussing war in Ukraine and improving relations between Russia and the United States.
He called for President Vladimir V Putin’s efforts to build a hot ties with the new administration when the Russian leader repeatedly praised Mr Trump in weeks after his inauguration. And it highlights the ban in which Ukrainian President Wolodmeer Zelannsky found himself, as Mr Trump makes a channel for Moscow, while expressing deep doubts about Kiev.
In a statement, the Fogle family thanked Mr. Trump for his release.
“We are grateful, relieved and overwhelmed that after more than three years, our father, husband and son Mark Foole, is finally coming home.” “ And beans.
The role of Mr. Vaticov is ahead of just one mission to release a detained American, according to several persons, briefing about the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive arrangements. Û” Mr Trump has a history that many people should be assigned to carry out a single purpose. And when Mr. Trump has appointed retired Three Star General Keith Kellog as his special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, he has also assigned a role in the peace process.
He said that week ago, Mr Trump had secretly empowered Mr Watkov to increase his portfolio beyond the Middle East, aimed at opening a channel of negotiations with the Russians. Mr. Trump relys on Mr. Watkov, whom he has been at a personal level since the 1980s and told his close people that he believes to help the real estate developer end the war Have a dialogue skill. Ukraine.
But the correct lines of the authority in the administration are not clear on this matter.
Mr Watkov had a direct conversation with Mr Putin’s close allies before his visit to Moscow, people told about the situation. He said he also discussed Ukraine with contacts in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Persian Gulf countries have long tried to play their role as mediators to end the conflict.
It is unclear whether Mr Trump and Mr Putin have spoken – no one will say – but several senior Trump administration officials who are generally aware of such calls said they confirmed this. Can’t have happened.
During his presidential campaign, Mr Trump promised to end the Russian-Ukrainian war “within 24 hours”. But Mr Putin, who has agreed to try to back Ukraine’s West, has no rush to give concessions. And when Mr Trump has indicated that he plans to use restrictions or other tools to squeeze Mr Putin financially so he is forced to talk, but it is not clear that Ukraine is from the United States How long should be expected to supply essential weapons?
Mr Trump has said he wants the Ukraine to provide hundreds of billion dollars worth of rare ground minerals as a payment of US security aid since the beginning of the war. He announced on Tuesday that he was sending the Treasury Secretary Scott Basant to meet Mr. Zillinski.
Mr Trump has written on his social media site, the truth, social social, “This war will end soon and end.” “Too much death and destruction. The United States has spent billions of dollars globally, showing very few.
Mr Basant was instructed to discover with Ukraine residents as to what a contract for the rare land minerals, many people gave a briefing about these projects.
Mr. Zelannsky Told Reuters in an interview That he was open to an agreement to give the United States access to extraordinary land minerals in exchange for security guarantee.
Mr Trump has continued to express doubts about Mr Zelannski, who he believes that American generosity has taken advantage of. Mr Trump is reluctant to entertain any kind of US security guarantee for Ukraine as part of any settlement.
In his Super Bowl interview with Fox News about the future of Ukraine, the president’s comments once again suspected his vision for ending the war, as well as his support for the country’s sovereignty.
Mr Trump said about Ukraine, “They can make a deal, they cannot make a deal.” “They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.”
Mr Trump was roaming out loud in the interview, which was broadcast on Monday, but any question about the future of the US president’s independent Ukraine is deeply disturbing to Qayev’s officials.
Mr Putin and many Russian Ukraine view the former Soviet Republic as a true part of Russia and question its independence even before the war. On the other hand, the Ukrainian nationalism has been tightened three years ago since the Russian invasion and surprising losses.
Representatives of the Trump administration are expected to discuss their plans to end the war in Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference this week. Mr. Kellog, Russia-Ukrainian envoy, Secretary Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Venice are ready to attend the conference.
Mr. Venus is scheduled to meet Mr. Zillinski in Munich. The meeting could have decided to meet the meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Zelannsky in Washington. Mr Trump has said he will meet with the Ukrainian leader soon, and he is expected to talk to Mr Putin.
Mr Fogle’s allies were arguing with Russian officials that they should release them as part of the Trump administration’s indicators.
Mr Fogle’s 95 -year -old mother, Malfine Fogle, Butler, Pa, residents and supports Mr. Trump. She was attending a rally in Butler in July, where a tried killer shot Mr Trump in his ear. Ms. Fogle had the Met her before the rally And was ready to join the stage, a plan in the attack.
Mr Fogle’s allies hoped that he would join a major prisoner exchange deal in August, which freed Paul Wellen, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Ivan Grushkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter. But the Biden administration did not pressure Mr Foogle to be included because Mr Fogle was not wrongly classified because he was not detained due to the amount of marijuana going to Russia.
Mr Fogle’s legal team said his release was a “long -term”.
To release Mark in just a few weeks, Mark D. Luka and Andrew Smith, Mr Fogle, “in several weeks, President Trump to misrepresent Mark’s release, after the Borocridatic dishonesty, after Mark Lawyers said in a statement.
For Mr Putin, the decision to release Mr Fogle is a change from his very few residential stances during the Biden administration. When former Fox News host Tucker Carlson asked Mr Putin to release Mr. Gershakovic in an interview last February, the Russian president shot, “We have made many indications of good wishes about which I think we are over.
The House of the House Reporting was contributed.
