Fogel, 63, was released after US President Donald Trump “negotiated an exchange,” officials say.
Russia has released Mark Vogel, an American teacher that Washington deemed mistakenly detained in a three-and-a-half-year prison, the White House announced.
Fogel, 63, was in custody in Russia since August 2021 after receiving 14 years in prison for possession of approximately 17 grams (0.4 ounces) of medical marijuana.
Michael Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, said in a statement Tuesday, that Michael Waltz was released after US President Donald Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff “negotiated an exchange.”
The Waltz did not identify the nature of the exchange, which he described as “a sincere show from the Russians” and “a sign of moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.”
“By tonight, Mark Vogel will be in American soil and will be reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump’s leader,” Waltz said.
In a statement, the Fogel family said they were “thank you, relieved and overwhelmed.”
Later Tuesday, he was asked if the US had given up anything for Fogel’s release, but Trump said “not much” without elaborating.
“In fact, we were treated very well by Russia,” Trump told White House reporters.
“I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war. [in Ukraine] And millions of people can stop being killed. ”
During the campaign, Trump claimed that Russia could end the Ukrainian war in Russia in “24 hours.”
With the conflict approaching the four-year mark, plans to end Trump’s war are still unknown, but it suggests that Kiev must at least a portion of its territory to Russia.
There were no immediate comments from Moscow regarding Vogel’s release.
Washington has previously negotiated the release of Americans in exchange for Russians. This included Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, who was released from Russian custody in August, along with two other US citizens.
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