The Kremlin announced Wednesday that a Russian citizen has been freed from a U.S. prison in exchange for Moscow’s release of jailed American schoolteacher Marc Fogel.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian national would return home in the coming days, at which point their identity would be disclosed.
Fogel, 63, landed in the United States on Tuesday after serving more than three years in a Russian prison on a drug-related conviction.
Fogel’s release was widely seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, with the White House signaling that it could help facilitate negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, accompanied Fogel back to the U.S., where he was greeted by Trump at the White House.
“I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” Fogel said, wrapped in an American flag as he stood beside the president.
Fogel, a Pennsylvania native, was expected to reunite with his family later Tuesday. He expressed gratitude to Trump, who suggested another American’s release was imminent but did not provide details.
The White House did not confirm whether Trump directly negotiated with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Fogel’s release. However, Fogel described Putin as “very generous and statesmanlike” in granting him a pardon.
Asked about the terms of the exchange, Trump called it “very fair” but did not disclose what the U.S. provided in return. National security adviser Michael Waltz confirmed the negotiation of a prisoner swap but did not elaborate on specifics.
Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and sentenced to 14 years in prison for possessing medically prescribed marijuana. The Biden administration had officially classified him as wrongfully detained in December 2021.
Trump, who has vowed to broker a resolution to the Ukraine conflict, suggested that Fogel’s release was part of a broader effort to improve U.S.-Russia relations.
“We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually,” Trump told reporters. “I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war.”
As part of a potential push for peace talks, the president announced that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would travel to Kyiv for discussions with Ukrainian leaders. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, are also scheduled to attend the Munich Security Conference later this week, where the war in Ukraine will be a key topic.
Kellogg told The Associated Press that the delegation would outline Trump’s vision for ending the war and discuss potential next steps with European allies.
“We will deliver our expectation to the allies,” Kellogg said. “When we come back from Munich, we want to provide the president with options so that when he directly engages in the peace process, he knows what it will look like.”
While Fogel’s release marks a significant development, several other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia.
Among them is U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Khavana, who was convicted of treason for donating $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Additionally, American Robert Gilman is serving a seven-year sentence for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers, while Stephen Hubbard remains imprisoned following a closed trial on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.
Last August, a high-profile prisoner exchange involving the U.S., Russia, and other nations led to the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American corporate security executive Paul Whelan. However, Fogel and several other detainees were not included in that deal.
