Russia frees American Marc Fogel in what U.S. calls step toward ending Ukraine war
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WASHINGTON — Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was deemed wrongfully detained in Russia, has been released in what the White House described as a diplomatic thaw that could advance negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, left Russian airspace with Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Trump, and was expected to be reunited with his family by the end of the day.
Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison sentence. His family and supporters said he was traveling with medically prescribed marijuana. He was designated by President Biden’s administration as wrongfully detained in December.
Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor, said the U.S. and Russia “negotiated an exchange” to ensure Fogel’s release. He did not say what the U.S. side of the bargain entailed. Previous negotiations have occasionally involved reciprocal releases of Russians by the U.S. or its allies.
Waltz described the development as “a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.” Trump, a Republican, has promised to find a way to end the conflict.
President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin share some traits and want some of the same things. But a chasm divides them.
Trump also has talked about having a good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. Last month, Trump said that his administration was having “very serious” conversations with Russia about the war.
Fogel’s relatives said they were “beyond grateful, relieved and overwhelmed” that he was coming home.
“This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” they said. “For the first time in years, our family can look forward to the future with hope.”
There was no immediate comment from Moscow about Fogel’s release on Tuesday.
Although a massive prisoner swap last August freed Americans including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, others remain detained in Russia.
Those include U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Khavana, who was convicted in August of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. The Biden White House at the time called the conviction and sentencing “nothing less than vindictive cruelty.”
Trump’s plan for securing an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine remains unclear, though he has said that both sides will need to make concessions and suggested that Ukraine would have to accept the loss of at least some territory. Fogel’s release and Trump’s announcement that he will send Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Kyiv for talks with Ukraine’s leaders could signal that plans may be beginning to take shape.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, will travel this week to the Munich Security Conference, where the situation in Ukraine will be a major topic of discussion.
Kellogg told the Associated Press on Monday that he and the others would be talking to European officials about the very broad outlines of what Trump would like to see and gauging their response.
“We will deliver our expectation to the allies,” Kellogg said. “When we come back from Munich — we want to deliver to the president the options, so when he does get [directly] involved in the peace process, he knows what it will look like for him.”
Megerian writes for the Associated Press.
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