Diplomatic thaw? Russia frees US teacher

Washington: Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher who had been held in Russia since 2021, arrived back on U.S. soil late Tuesday night after the White House announced earlier in the day it had negotiated his release.

The White House released a photo of a jubilant Fogel disembarking a plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Alongside him were White House national security adviser Michael Waltz and Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s envoy for hostages.

He was then taken to the White House, where he was greeted outside on the North Portico by President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, among others. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that a Russian citizen who was behind bars in the US had been freed as part of the swap that included Fogel’s release. Peskov said the Russian’s identity would be disclosed once back in Russia.

Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison sentence. His family and supporters said he had been travelling with medically prescribed marijuana, and he was designated by President Joe Biden’s administration as wrongfully detained in December. “I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” he said. He called the President “a hero” for facilitating his return.