The president has said he hopes the release of an American national will mark the “beginning of a relationship” to end the Ukraine conflict
US President Donald Trump greets Marc Fogel at the White House, February 11, 2025. © AP / Alex Brandon
US President Donald Trump has said that Moscow agreed to release Marc Fogel, a former US Embassy employee sentenced to 14 years in prison on drug trafficking charges, as part of a “very fair and reasonable deal” without asking “much” in return.
The Kremlin has not yet commented on the development, but the White House praised the move as a “show of good faith” after US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff brought Fogel back to the US on Tuesday.
“We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually. I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed,” Trump told journalists at the White House.
Asked whether Washington had given Moscow “anything in return,” Trump paused briefly before responding: “Not much. No, they were very nice.”
Later in the day, Trump personally greeted Fogel at the White House but again declined to provide details of the deal, though he hinted that “somebody else is being released tomorrow that you will know of.”
“The deal was very reasonable. Not like deals you’ve seen over the years. They were very fair,” Trump stated, reiterating his hope that the move would help pave the way for ending the Ukraine conflict.
President Trump Greets and Welcomes Marc Fogel Back to The United States https://t.co/LfMAk8NdGj
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 12, 2025
When asked whether he had personally discussed Fogel’s release with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump responded, “I don’t want to say that. I just want to say that I appreciate very much what they did, letting Marc go home… We appreciate President Putin’s… what he did.”
Fogel also expressed gratitude, calling Putin “very generous” and “statesman-like” in allowing him to return home after spending more than three years in prison on drug trafficking charges.
Fogel, a teacher at an Anglo-American school in Moscow, had previously worked at the US Embassy in Russia. He lost his diplomatic immunity in May 2021. In August of that year, he was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow after the authorities found marijuana and hashish oil in his possession. He was later sentenced to 14 years in prison after Russian officials accused him of attempting to establish a drug trafficking route, alleging that the banned substances were carefully concealed in his personal belongings.