Moscow on Tuesday released an American prisoner after a visit by a member of President Donald Trump’s administration to Russia, marking the first known visit since the start of the Ukraine war.
The White House said Trump facilitated the release of Marc Fogel, an American imprisoned since 2021 on drug charges, as part of an "exchange," though further details were not provided.
“We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually,” Trump remarked in the Oval Office later on Tuesday. “I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed.”
Trump confirmed that he would meet with Fogel at the White House later in the evening.
Steve Witkoff, who serves as Trump’s Middle East envoy, played a key role in the release. The White House confirmed that Witkoff was "leaving Russian airspace" with Fogel.
"President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the President's advisors negotiated an 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," said US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in a statement.
"By tonight, Marc Fogel will be on American soil and reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump's leadership," Waltz added.
Witkoff, who had earlier been instrumental in advancing the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, became the first senior US official to visit Russia in recent years.
Under former President Joe Biden, most official contact with Russia was severed after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, though there were still some quiet meetings between intelligence officials in third countries.