On Tuesday afternoon, Boehler shared a “real-time photo” of Marc Fogel returning to the U.S., holding a U.S. passport and raising a glass. “I’m sure it was a scotch,” his sister remarked.
Fogel had worked for nearly a decade as a history teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, where he taught children of U.S. diplomats. He was arrested in August 2021 at a Moscow airport after being found with cannabis. He had entered the country with approximately 17 grams of cannabis, which his family and lawyer stated was prescribed by a doctor to alleviate “severe spinal pain.”
In June 2022, he was convicted in a court just outside Moscow for “large-scale drug smuggling” and sentenced to 14 years in a Russian hard labor camp. The same court had previously tried detained WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was released in a prisoner swap in December 2022.
Fogel was not included in several prisoner exchanges under the Biden administration, including one in August that resulted in the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.
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Fogel’s family had voiced serious concerns about his health, telling CNN in July 2022 that his prison sentence amounted to “a death sentence for him.” The U.S. government had requested Russia to release Fogel on humanitarian grounds due to his age and chronic back pain.
Officials Celebrate Fogel’s Release
Senator Steve Daines wrote a letter to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2023 urging the State Department to immediately designate Fogel as “wrongfully detained,” which the U.S. did late last year.
On Tuesday, Daines praised Trump for securing Fogel’s release.
“This is a major victory for President Trump, the United States, and most importantly, Marc Fogel and his family. No American should have to endure this injustice, and I am relieved Marc is on his way home to the country he loves,” the Montana Republican posted on X.
Fogel’s mother, Malphine Fogel, met with Trump prior to a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was nearly assassinated in July. When greeting Fogel at the White House on Tuesday night, Trump joked, “I had to get him back home because I would have had big trouble with his mother.”
Pennsylvania Republican Representative Mike Kelly, Malphine Fogel’s congressman, celebrated Fogel’s release on Tuesday, stating, “For years, I have met with the Fogels and have strongly advocated for Marc’s release.”
Democratic Pennsylvania Representative Chris Deluzio also commended the news, as did Governor Josh Shapiro.
“After more than three years in Russian captivity, I join his family, our federal partners, and all of his fellow Pennsylvanians in welcoming Marc Fogel home — exactly where he belongs,” the Democratic governor wrote.
Release Not Linked to Russia-Ukraine War but ‘A Positive Sign,’ Says Rubio
Rubio told Collins that while Fogel’s release and an end to the war in Ukraine are not directly connected, he believes it is a positive indication that Russia was willing to cooperate.
“There’s a long way to go between here and there. It’s not going to be easy,” Rubio said regarding the war’s conclusion. “And again, I don’t want to claim that what’s happening here tonight is in any way the first step toward that, but I do think it’s a good sign that the Russians were willing to do something in this regard, and hopefully, we can build on that in the days to come.”
Rubio stated that he doesn’t think anyone can set a timeline for the nearly three-year-long war to end. “We don’t just want to see it end. We want to see it end in a sustainable way,” he added.
The news of the “exchange” with Moscow comes as Trump has suggested he could attempt to bring about an end to the war in Ukraine in ways that may be unsettling to Kyiv.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Trump stated that Ukraine might eventually fall under Russian control “someday,” as he called for the war-torn country to share its natural resources in exchange for U.S. assistance.
“They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday. But we are going to have all this money in there, and I say, I want it back,” Trump remarked.
Members of the Trump administration are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian officials in the coming days. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to travel to Kyiv for discussions about the country’s critical mineral deposits, according to two individuals familiar with his plans. Vice President JD Vance is anticipated to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is set to visit Kyiv following meetings at the Munich Security Conference.
