Towven.com – Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was held in a Russian prison for more than three years, was welcomed back to the U.S. by President Donald Trump on Tuesday night after the White House arranged for his release through a “swap.”
Fogel arrived at the White House late Tuesday, draped in an American flag, and was warmly received by Trump, who stated that it was “an honor to have played a small role” in facilitating his return.
“Thank you all, I love our country, and I’m overjoyed to be back. I wish I could express my feelings better,” Fogel said, visibly emotional as he spoke in the Diplomatic Reception Room.
The agreement for Fogel’s release, who was classified as wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department, was negotiated by Trump, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and the President’s advisors, according to a statement from National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
The statement did not disclose specific details about the “swap,” only mentioning that it was “a gesture of goodwill from the Russians and a sign that we are making progress toward ending the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.”
Trump did not elaborate on the specifics of the exchange during his remarks on Tuesday night, but he described it as “very fair, very reasonable, unlike deals you’ve seen in the past,” adding that the conditions of Fogel’s release would be revealed on Wednesday.
When asked if this release could lead to a peace agreement, Trump remarked, “There’s goodwill regarding the war,” and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his involvement.
“You could play a significant role in this, as it could be a crucial part of bringing the war in Ukraine to an end,” Trump said, addressing Fogel as they stood together. “We appreciate President Putin for what he did. He was able to make this happen for you, right?”
Trump confirmed that another American is anticipated to be released but did not provide further details. There are still several Americans detained in Russia, with at least two designated as wrongfully detained: American Stephen Hubbard and Russian-American dual national Ksenia Karelina.
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Earlier in the evening, Trump’s nominee for special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, hinted on “The Source” about the release of another detained American on Wednesday but did not specify whether that individual was in Russia. “That will be a surprise for tomorrow,” he told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
Boehler, speaking alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, clarified that Fogel’s release would not occur as a direct one-for-one exchange with a Russian held in the U.S. at the same time.
“You won’t see an exchange happening right now. I think you will see the president consider if there are some nonviolent individuals where there are no issues on either side, but you will not see a one-for-one exchange happening simultaneously,” he stated from Joint Base Andrews ahead of Fogel’s arrival.
In an extraordinary move, Witkoff personally traveled to Russia to bring Fogel back, as indicated in Waltz’s statement. There has been no known high-level U.S. travel to Russia since the onset of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Witkoff, who serves as Trump’s Middle East envoy and had no previously known official dealings with Russia, was involved partly because he leveraged relationships in the Middle East to advance the agreement, according to two individuals briefed on the discussions.
Witkoff has been actively engaged in the region in recent months, working on a Gaza ceasefire deal, particularly in Qatar, a key mediator. Doha played a role in assisting Witkoff and the administration with Tuesday’s exchange deal through introductions made to Russian intermediaries, the sources said.
‘Today, We Begin to Heal,’ Says Family
Fogel expressed his gratitude to his family, whom he described as “a force,” and stated that he felt “indebted to so many people.”
Earlier in the day, his family expressed their immense relief and gratitude, stating they were “beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention” he was finally coming home.
“Thanks to the unwavering leadership of President Trump, Marc will soon be back on American soil, free where he belongs,” said Jane, Ethan, and Sam Fogel in a statement. “This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal.”
Fogel’s sister, Anne Fogel, shared with CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront” that his wife and children were heading to Texas to see him on Wednesday due to a winter storm in Washington, D.C. She mentioned that the family had been informed last week about her brother’s transfer from a prison in Rybinsk, which led them to believe something significant was happening, and they had been anxiously waiting.
“We are truly jubilant. We are celebrating,” Anne Fogel said.
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.
