Trump’s Envoy Witkoff Leads Diplomatic Effort as Russia Frees Imprisoned American Marc Fogel

Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia, has been released in what the White House described as a diplomatic development that could facilitate negotiations to end the war against Ukraine, according to The Associated Press on February 11.

Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. His family and supporters claimed he had been carrying medically prescribed marijuana. In December, the Biden administration officially designated him as wrongfully detained.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for Middle East, departed Russian airspace with Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania. Fogel is expected to reunite with his family by the end of the day.

Trump’s National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, confirmed that the US and Russia had “negotiated an exchange” for Fogel’s release but did not disclose the terms of the agreement. Previous deals of this nature have sometimes involved the reciprocal release of Russian nationals held by the US 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.”

Fogel’s family expressed gratitude for his release, stating, “This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal.” Moscow has not yet issued an official statement regarding Fogel’s release.

Earlier, it was reported on February 9, that Stephen Hubbard, a 73 year old US citizen was tortured in a Russian prison after his capture in Izium, Ukraine, in April 2022.