Family Appeals to President Trump to Seek Release of U.S. Citizen Detained in Russia

Anastasia Antonov has written directly to President Trump urging him to intervene with Russian President Vladimir Putin's government to secure the release of her father, Aleksandr Antonov, who is serving a six-year prison sentence in Russia. Anastasia Antonov, who describes herself as a proud U.S. citizen, said she felt it was time to elevate her father's case to the president after becoming frustrated with the pace of State Department efforts.

In the letter shared with CBS News, she expressed belief that her father was arrested and convicted because he is an American citizen. Aleksandr Antonov, 66, is a naturalized U.S. citizen who immigrated from the Soviet Union in the 1990s. He returned to Ukraine and Russia for business trips.

On March 5, 2025, Russian border officers at a passport check found his U.S. passport and alleged he had Telegram messages on his phone containing anti-Russian sentiment. He was later convicted on charges related to inciting terrorism and extremism.

News reported that one current and two former U.S. officials said there is an internal debate at the State Department over whether to designate Aleksandr Antonov as wrongfully detained. Several officials recommended in a memo to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's top counselor that he had been wrongly detained, according to the officials.

That recommendation conflicts with other State Department diplomats who expressed concern that such a designation could upset ongoing Russia-U.S. diplomacy related to the Ukraine war. Two officials briefed on the case told CBS News that the main obstacle is concern about further inflaming tensions with Russia.

The designation is discretionary, and the authority rests with the secretary of state. A former senior government official briefed on hostage advocacy said U.S. officials have told the family that the Russia cases are a priority. The official said Aleksandr Antonov is on the list given to a U.S. envoy to bring up with a Putin adviser.

Jared Kushner is also part of those talks.

None of the at least six Americans currently held by Russia have received the wrongful detention designation from the Trump administration. The classification would allow the special envoy for hostage affairs to press the case more actively. It would also provide the family with mental health support, two trips a year to Washington for advocacy, and support upon the detainee's return to the U.S. A retired teacher named Stephan Hubbard, who is imprisoned in Russia, received the designation at the end of the Biden administration.

Former hostage Paul Whelan, freed in a prisoner swap with Russia in 2024, told CBS News that the lack of progress could reflect Putin not wanting anything from the U.S. at this time and the administration not wanting to expend political capital. Sens.

Tim Kaine and Mark Warner have publicly called for the secretary of state to designate imprisoned U.S. Navy veteran Chuck Zimmerman as wrongfully detained by Russia.

In response to an inquiry from CBS News about whether President Trump had received the letter and whether the detained Americans are part of ongoing diplomacy with Russia, a Trump administration official stated that the president has made it a priority to bring home all Americans wrongfully and unjustly detained overseas.

The official's emailed statement continued that the State Department is closely tracking Aleksandr Antonov's detention and is working diligently to secure his release along with all Americans wrongfully and unjustly detained in Russia. The department cited privacy considerations in declining to comment on specifics of his case.

The State Department told CBS News in an email that it is closely tracking the detentions of both Aleksandr Antonov and Chuck Zimmerman, remains in regular communication with their families, and continues to advocate for consular access in both cases.

Anastasia Antonov and her mother handed the letter to a Trump adviser on Tuesday of last week after an awards dinner. The Trump administration freed two Americans from Russian custody last year in a prisoner swap.