President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East has successfully negotiated the release of an American teacher, Marc Fogel, who was wrongfully detained in Russia. The exchange took place as a gesture of goodwill from the Russians and a positive step towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine, according to a statement from national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Waltz highlighted that the negotiation resulted in the safe return of Marc Fogel, who had been working as a history teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow for nearly a decade. Fogel, 61, was detained in August 2021 at a Moscow airport for carrying cannabis. He had around 17 grams of cannabis with him, which he claimed was prescribed by a doctor to alleviate severe spinal pain.
The successful exchange was orchestrated by President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the President’s advisors. Waltz emphasized that this act of diplomacy signifies progress towards ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Fogel’s release marks a significant development in the diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia.
