Overview

• Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Alexander Trufanov, a Russian-Israeli hostage freed by Hamas after nearly 500 days in captivity.
• Putin attributed Trufanov's release to Russia's longstanding relationships with Palestinian groups, including Hamas, and thanked Hamas for the humanitarian gesture.
• Trufanov, whose father was killed in the October 2023 Hamas attack, urged Putin to continue efforts to free other hostages still held in Gaza, whom he described as 'brothers.'
• Putin presented flowers to Trufanov's mother and fiancée, both of whom were also briefly held hostage and released in late 2023 during an earlier truce.
• The Kremlin reiterated its commitment to securing the release of all remaining hostages and expressed support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.