On the night of February 11, Marc Fogel, an American teacher wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, was released after three and a half years behind bars. Fogel had been sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison on charges that many critics deemed unjust and politically motivated. His freedom was secured through negotiations led by President Donald Trump and real estate magnate Steve Witkoff, who worked tirelessly to broker a deal with Russian officials. Fogel arrived at the White House shortly after his release, reuniting with his family and greeting the president. 

According to Aljazeera, Marc Fogel, a 63-year-old teacher, dedicated most of his career teaching at national schools across the globe. In 2012, Fogel and his wife resided in Moscow, Russia, where he “taught history at the Anglo-American School, which caters to US citizens and the children of diplomats.” He was granted diplomatic immunity as an educator at the institution, which received support from the US, UK, and Canadian embassies, However, in 2020, Russia repealed the diplomatic privileges granted to teachers, accusing the US of exploiting this diplomatic status. 

In August of 2021, Fogel returned from New York and landed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, only to be arrested due to his possession of less than an ounce of cannabis. His family explained that the cannabis was, “medically prescribed for his chronic back pain,” but Russian authorities did not show any leniency. The cCountry’s strict drug laws did not make any medical exceptions. In court, the Moscow Judiciary found Fogel guilty of “large-scale drug smuggling” and sentenced him to 14 years of hard labor. He was then sent to the notorious Rybinsk Penal Colony, located four hours from Moscow, an institution infamous for its brutal living conditions and inhumane treatment of prisoners.

During Former President Joe Biden’s time in office, numerous prisoner swaps took place between the US and Russia, but the release of Fogel was not a priority. Fogel’s mother, Malphine, is 95-years old, and remained steadfast in her fight to bring him home. Despite the lack of action under Biden, Malphine attended a Trump rally in July, where an assanation attempt was narrowly avoided. During this rally, President Trump personally met with her. He assured her that, should he regain the presidency, he would do everything within his power to secure the release of her son. In a heartfelt statement to The White House, Mapahine expressed immense gratitude, declaring “I would like to thank [President Trump] profusely. He promised me he would get him out—and he kept his promise, and I can’t thank him enough.” 

On Tuesday, according to The New York Times, President Trump successfully brokered the release of Fogel in a deal with the Kremlin, facilitated by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. Fogel arrived late Tuesday night at Joint Base Andrews, a military facility in Maryland, accompanied by Witkoff, who played a pivotal role in his return. After landing, Fogel made his way to The White House for a highly anticipated news conference with President Trump. The New York Times wrote, “an American flag was draped around [Fogels] neck as he emerged from a black car, with Mr. Trump waiting to greet him.” Fogel was very appreciative of Trump’s efforts to bring him back to America, he said, “I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now.” 

The following morning , according to MPR News, the Kremlin revealed that a Russian national, whose identity was not disclosed, had been released from a US prison and would soon be returning to Russia. This indicates that there was a potential prisoner swamp. “We were treated very nicely by Russia,” said Trump. “Actually, I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed.”