In a recent diplomatic development, American schoolteacher Marc Fogel returned to the United States after being released from Russian detention. The 63-year-old former diplomat landed at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., before proceeding to the White House.
President Donald Trump welcomed Fogel at the White House, and described the exchange as “very fair, very reasonable.” The Kremlin confirmed that a Russian citizen would be released by the US as part of the agreement, with their return expected in the coming days. The Russian citizen’s identity remains undisclosed until their arrival home.
Trump indicated that another detainee would be released on Wednesday, though no specific details were provided. He characterized the release as a “show of good faith” from Russia, suggesting it could contribute to resolving the conflict in Ukraine. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that while such agreements build trust, they were unlikely to mark a “turning point” in bilateral relations.
Fogel, who expressed feeling like “the luckiest man on Earth,” was arrested in 2021 for possessing a small amount of medical marijuana prescribed in the US. He received a 14-year sentence and was held in a penal colony in Rybinsk until his release.
His family, including his wife Jane and sons Ethan and Sam, released a statement describing the period as “the darkest and most painful” of their lives. Fogel’s sister, Anne, revealed that while the family knew release negotiations were ongoing, they remained “very tenuous.”
Fogel’s legal team acknowledged Trump’s role in the negotiation while criticizing what they termed “bureaucratic inaction” by the Biden administration. They noted that Trump secured Fogel’s release “in just a few weeks.” The US government had not classified Fogel as wrongfully detained until December 2024, despite his imprisonment beginning in 2022.
The release follows several previous prisoner exchanges between Russia and the US, including those of Brittney Griner, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva. Approximately 10 Americans remain in Russian custody, including Gordon Black and Robert Woodland.
Fogel, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, previously worked at the Anglo-American School of Moscow and the US embassy. He returned to the US accompanied by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, marking the first visit by a senior US official to Russia in several years.
Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to visit Ukraine later this week. Regarding the ongoing conflict, Trump recently stated on Fox News: “They [Ukraine] may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday or they may not be Russian someday.”
Possible Clickbait Title: “SHOCK DEAL: Trump Pulls Off 24-Hour Prison Swap That Biden Couldn’t Do in Years!”
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