‘You’ll see soon enough’: Trump on efforts to free US hostage held in Russia
President Donald Trump has suggested that progress is being made in securing the release of a long-held American hostage in Russia. He also defended his ongoing diplomatic engagement with Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine and other global issues.
Why it matters
The potential release of a hostage and the nature of US-Russia diplomatic relations are critical to international security and domestic political discourse.
US president Donald Trump has hinted at a possible breakthrough in efforts to secure the release of an American hostage held in Russia. He also defended his decision to keep diplomatic negotiations with Russian president Vladimir Putin open on Ukraine, Iran, energy pipelines and hostages.Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Monday (local time), Trump said he was seeking the release of a hostage whose case had remained unresolved for years, suggesting that progress could emerge soon.“Well, you’ll see soon enough, because I’m trying to get a hostage that the country’s been after for a long time, and before my time,” Trump said when asked what assurances Putin had given that he wanted to reach a deal. “And let’s see what happens, that’ll be—that’ll be soon.”Trump’s remarks followed his statement on Sunday that negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict were making “great progress”.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in