Trump sees Russia’s release of Fogel as a chance to end war in Ukraine

"We were treated very nicely by Russia. Actually, I hope that's the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war," Trump told reporters at the White House a few hours after Fogel’s release was announced.

What is known about the release and Marc Fogel

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it had reached an agreement with Russia regarding the release of longtime American prisoner Marc Fogel, who has now returned to the United States.

In a statement, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and other advisors "negotiated an exchange that 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."

It is known that 63-year-old Marc Fogel was set to return to the US on Tuesday evening (before Wednesday began in the States). Fogel was a teacher at an American school in Moscow and was arrested at a Russian airport in 2021 for possession of a small amount of marijuana, which had been prescribed to him for medical use in the US In 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Media reports add that it is still unclear what the US gave in exchange for Fogel.

Progress on ending the war in Ukraine

Recently, US President Donald Trump stated that over the past week, the US has made "tremendous progress" in negotiations with Moscow and Kyiv, and he believes a peace agreement can be reached.

"I think we’ve made tremendous progress in the last week. We’re dealing with the Russians. We’re dealing with the Ukrainians. I think there’s going to be something," he said in an interview with Fox News.