US releases crypto kingpin Alexander Vinnik as part of an exchange deal with Russia
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 — The United States has released Russian cryptocurrency kingpin Alexander Vinnik, as part of an exchange deal that saw Moscow free US teacher Marc Fogel, a senior US official said yesterday.
The official told AFP that Vinnik, who pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering, “was handed over to Russian officials.”
US President Donald Trump’s government has hailed the prisoner exchange as a positive sign for diplomacy between the two countries and for possible negotiations over an end to the Ukraine war.
Trump’s overtures to Putin in particular have caused alarm in Europe, which has viewed Russia as a major threat since the invasion of Ukraine.
Trump…
