The Trump administration secured the release of U.S. schoolteacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison, claiming that this is a “show of good faith” from Russia and signals progress toward ending the war in Ukraine.
White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said this in a statement on Tuesday, according to Ukrinform.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia,” the statement reads.
It further emphasizes that the agreement on Fogel’s release “serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.”
The visit of a White House representative to Moscow and the successful negotiations with Russian officials indicate a significant shift in U.S.-Russia relations, which had been frozen following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Fogel, a teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, was detained in August 2021 at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, where authorities allegedly found drugs in his possession.
Reports indicate that Fogel used medical marijuana prescribed by a doctor following spinal surgery, which was documented in his medical records.
In summer 2022, a Russian court sentenced him to 14 years in a penal colony on drug smuggling charges. During his trial, Fogel stated that he was unaware of Russia’s ban on medical marijuana. However, according to the court’s press service, the U.S. citizen fully admitted his guilt.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, claiming that some progress has already been made.
Photo: The Hill
Source: Trump administration links American's release in Russia to Ukraine war resolution
