LONDON — A significant diplomatic exchange has occurred as a Russian citizen held in a U.S. prison is set to be returned to Russia. This follows the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel, who was repatriated to the United States on Tuesday, according to Moscow.
In a reciprocal move for Fogel's release, a Russian citizen imprisoned in the United States will be repatriated to Russia in the coming days, stated Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, on Wednesday. Peskov did not reveal the identity of the Russian citizen involved in this exchange but confirmed that the United States had agreed to this during negotiations for Fogel's return, who had been detained in Russia since 2021.
While President Donald Trump did not disclose specific details about the negotiations that led to Fogel's release, he emphasized the importance of bringing Fogel home, noting, "We got a man home whose mother and family wanted him desperately." Trump also commented on the nature of the negotiations, stating, "Not much, no. They were very nice. We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually."
Mike Waltz, the White House national security adviser, issued a statement on Tuesday highlighting that the exchange represents a positive gesture from the Russians. Waltz noted that this exchange is a step in the right direction toward ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, he did not provide further details on the exchange.
On Wednesday, Peskov declined to comment on the possibility of future prisoner exchanges but did mention that communication between the relevant departments has intensified recently.
Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously declared in October 2024 that Fogel, an American teacher, was wrongfully detained, as confirmed by the State Department to ABC News. The U.S. made attempts to include Fogel in a major prisoner swap in August 2024, which resulted in the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, according to a State Department spokesperson last year.
ABC News journalists Joe Simonetti, Michelle Stoddart, Nathan Luna, and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
