Trump said Fogel’s release “could be a big important part” of ending the three-year-old Ukraine war
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Kremlin said on Wednesday (February 12, 2025) that a Russian citizen was freed from a U.S. prison in exchange for Moscow’s release of jailed American schoolteacher Marc Fogel.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Russian will return home in the coming days, at which point Moscow will release their name.
Peskov was briefing reporters a day after Russia freed Fogel from prison in a diplomatic deal that U.S. President Donald Trump said could contribute towards ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Commenting on Trump’s remark that this could help end the war, Peskov said it was unlikely to be a turning point, but described the releases as gradual steps to increase mutual trust, now at a low point.
Fogel, 63, was serving a 14-year sentence for drug smuggling after being caught at a Moscow airport with a small amount of marijuana. He was flown on Tuesday to Washington, where he celebrated his release with Trump at the White House.
Trump said Fogel’s release “could be a big important part” of ending the three-year-old Ukraine war. He and Russian President Vladimir Putin have both said they are keen to meet to discuss Trump’s ideas for bringing a swift conclusion to the war, but no date for any summit has been announced.
U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said Fogel was freed in a negotiated 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”.
Trump had said another person would be released on Wednesday, without identifying who it would be. He called the terms of Fogel’s release “very fair.”
“We were treated very nicely by Russia. Actually, I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that (Ukraine) war and millions of people can stop being killed,” Trump said.
Fogel was released into the custody of Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who made an unannounced stop in Moscow on Tuesday to pick him up.
The Washington Post said that according to Fox News broadcaster Sean Hannity, Witkoff, a real estate developer and longtime friend of Trump, had a three-and-a-half hour meeting with Putin.
Asked what the United States gave up in exchange for Fogel, Trump told reporters earlier: “Not much” and called the release a show of good faith from the Russians.
Russia’s rouble rose against the dollar on Wednesday on news of the Fogel deal and optimism about prospects for an easing of the Ukraine crisis.
Published – February 12, 2025 09:24 pm IST
