Putin Meets Freed Russian-Israeli Hostage, Pledges to Secure Release of Others Held by Hamas
Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Wednesday at the Kremlin with Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, a Russian-Israeli man who was held hostage by Hamas for 498 days before his release in February 2025. During the meeting, Putin expressed gratitude to the political leadership of Hamas for cooperating with Russia and carrying out what he described as