President Donald Trump welcomed American teacher Marc Fogel to the White House late last night following his release from Russia, where he had been detained since August 2021 after being found in possession of medical marijuana.
"I feel like the luckiest man in the world right now," Mr. Fogel said as he stood alongside President Trump.
Mr. Fogel praised the president, diplomats and American lawmakers for working to secure his release.
"I'm amazed by what they all did," Mr. Fogel said.
President Trump said he appreciated Mr. Fogel's release from Russia, while not providing details about the agreement that led to his release, beyond describing it as "very fair" and "very reasonable."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that the United States was releasing a Russian citizen from an American prison as part of the deal and that the identity would be made public once he arrived in Russia.
President Trump said the release of another hostage would be announced on Wednesday.
Mike Waltz, President Trump's national security adviser, said earlier Tuesday that the United States and Russia "negotiated a swap" to free Mr. Fogel, but did not provide details about what the American side had offered. In the past, the United States has released Russian prisoners wanted by Moscow in exchange for Americans imprisoned in Russia.
However, Mr. Waltz portrayed the release in other geopolitical terms, saying it “showed signs of trust from the Russians and a sign that they are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and horrific war in Ukraine.” Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022, with hundreds of thousands killed or wounded on both sides.
Mr. Trump had vowed to end Russia's war on Ukraine before taking office on January 20. Recently, aides to the American leader have said that the president hopes to do so within the first 100 days of the new administration, roughly by the end of April.
"Since his inauguration, President Trump has successfully secured the release of detained Americans around the world. He will continue to work until all detained Americans are returned to the United States," Mr. Waltz said.
To date, the release of six Americans imprisoned in Venezuela and the release of Mr. Fogel from Russia have been announced.
The American teacher was carrying a small amount of prescription medical marijuana to treat back pain when he was stopped by Russian police. In 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and President Biden's administration said late last year that Mr. Fogel had been wrongfully arrested./ VOA (A2 Televizion)
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