An American returned from Russia after four and a half years in custody following a direct appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump said at the White House.
Trump said his administration would also work to free other Americans detained in Russia. He put their possible number at eight but said he had heard different counts.
Trump spoke alongside the freed American and his family in remarks published Oct. 30 on the White House's own channel under the title “President Trump Delivers Remarks, Oct. 30, 2026.”
Trump said he had asked Putin to release the man and received agreement. A plane brought him back a couple of days before the remarks.
“We did it at the highest level,” Trump said. He described the return as an effort he had personally wanted to secure.
A family member said hopes had faded after discussions in 2025 and the release of another group that did not include the man. The family received instructions to pack and prepare without learning exactly what was happening.
The freed American said he had been isolated from other foreigners and had initially come under artillery fire alongside Russians. He said they sometimes forgot about him while trying to save themselves.
Trump then outlined campaign travel, with a Florida rally that day and visits to Iowa and Kansas on Sunday. He planned telephone rallies on Saturday and several more on Monday for congressional candidates.
He said people in Iowa and Kansas had requested visits instead of telephone rallies. He expected to visit Iowa first, then Kansas, and had avoided Saturday partly because of college football.
Asked about a Binance hack, Trump said responsibility remained unknown and was under examination. He did not confirm a question linking it to a North Korean hacking group or commit to recovering the money.
Turning to Iran, Trump said talks were taking place and said the country was failing to pay soldiers and police. He said the United States had been involved for seven months.
Trump said the United States had eliminated a nuclear weapon and that proceeds from Venezuela had more than covered spending in Iran. He described those proceeds as hundreds of billions of dollars and about 10 times the spending, without detailing either calculation.
Asked whether he was considering lifting sanctions on Russian sovereign wealth funds, Trump announced no change. He said imposing sanctions while seeking the American's release would have worked against the negotiations.
The freed American said he believed he was leaving only after receiving new clothes, walking out of prison and seeing a car. He described travelling from Moscow to St. Petersburg and said he would not have survived another year in custody.
Trump gave no timetable for releasing the remaining Americans, no terms for the Iran talks and no decision on the sanctions question.
