Key Takeaways:

• Marc Fogel, a U.S. schoolteacher, has been released from Russian detention after being imprisoned for over three years on drug charges.
• Fogel's release, negotiated by the Trump administration, is seen as a diplomatic step towards resolving tensions between the U.S. and Russia regarding the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
• Details of the exchange remain vague, but reports indicate that a Russian prisoner was also freed in return for Fogel.
• Fogel expressed gratitude towards Trump and U.S. diplomats during his return, acknowledging their efforts in his release.
• Trump hopes this development will pave the way for peace negotiations involving Ukraine.

Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher previously imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, is returning to the United States following a significant diplomatic intervention by former President Donald Trump. After being detained for more than three years, Fogel’s release on February 11, 2025, comes on the heels of negotiations led by Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Fogel was initially arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in 2021 for carrying medically prescribed marijuana, a drug that remains highly illegal in Russia. In June 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony.

In statements from the White House, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz described Fogel's release as part of an "exchange" viewed as a sign of goodwill from Russia amid ongoing diplomatic tensions due to the conflict in Ukraine. While specific details of the negotiation remain undisclosed, sources have indicated that a Russian national, identified as Alexander Vinnik, was freed in return for Fogel. Vinnik, notorious for his alleged involvement in cryptocurrency laundering, had previously been extradited to the U.S. on related charges.

Upon his return to the U.S., a visibly emotional Fogel expressed his gratitude to Trump, claiming he felt like "the luckiest man on Earth." He emphasized, "I am not a hero in this at all. President Trump is a hero." This sentiment echoes the feeling of relief shared by Fogel's family, who described the past three years as the "darkest and most painful period... but today, we begin to heal" following his release.

In the wake of the release, Trump reiterated his commitment to pursuing peace negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating, "I think this could be a big, important part in getting the war over." Trump expressed hopes of initiating immediate discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to facilitate a settlement.

Fogel’s case had drawn significant attention over recent years, particularly as he was excluded from a high-profile prisoner exchange that included the release of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and other detainees in August 2024. As the details of the recent exchange unfold, questions remain regarding the broader implications for U.S.-Russia relations and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

For more in-depth coverage, read articles from Reuters, BBC, and VOA News.