American schoolteacher and former diplomat Marc Fogel has been released from prison in Russia and is on his way home to the US, according to US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Mr. Fogel's release was part of a negotiated exchange with Russia.
While specifics of the exchange remain undisclosed, it was confirmed that Mr. Fogel, aged 63, is currently on a plane with Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East. He is expected to reunite with his family by Tuesday evening. "We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home," Mr. Fogel's family expressed in a heartfelt statement.
Mr. Fogel was arrested in 2021 at a Russian airport for the illegal possession of cannabis. The small amount of medical marijuana, prescribed in the US, led to a 14-year prison sentence. Despite his detention beginning in 2022, Mr. Fogel wasn't classified as wrongfully detained by the US government until December 2024.
President Donald J. Trump, alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, played a crucial role in securing Mr. Fogel's release. Mr. Fogel's legal team credited President Trump for his swift and decisive action. They criticized what they termed the bureaucratic inaction of the former Biden administration, which had not secured Mr. Fogel's release despite repeated attempts by his family.
Mr. Fogel's case draws parallels with that of US basketball star Brittney Griner, who was also arrested in Russia for cannabis possession in 2022. Griner was released in an exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The Biden administration subsequently secured the release of three more Americans last year, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, in one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the Cold War.
Mr. Fogel's sister, Anne Fogel, expressed feelings of betrayal when her brother was excluded from previous prisoner exchanges. Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff's trip to Russia marks the first high-level US visit to the country in years. The visit, amid ongoing tensions due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is seen as a potential step toward diplomacy. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz described Mr. Fogel's release as a gesture of good faith from Russia, hinting at a possible shift toward ending the war in Ukraine.
President Trump announced earlier this week that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would be traveling to Ukraine, reflecting ongoing diplomatic efforts. During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to resolve the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, though in a recent interview, he speculated on the uncertain future of Ukraine's territorial status.
The release of Marc Fogel is a significant development in US-Russia relations, highlighting the complexities of international diplomacy and prisoner exchanges.
