Russia frees American schoolteacher Marc Fogel after four years

WASHINGTON — 

Russia released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel connected Tuesday pursuing an unannounced sojourn to Moscow by U.S. peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff and helium was headed for a White House welcome, U.S. President Donald Trump said.

The merchandise of 63-year-old Fogel, who had been detained successful Russia since August 2021 and was serving a 14-year sentence, came arsenic Trump seeks to amended relations with Moscow arsenic portion of an effort to unafraid an extremity to the war successful Ukraine.

Trump told reporters that Fogel would sojourn the White House connected his instrumentality to the U.S. precocious connected Tuesday, and White House nationalist information advisor Mike Waltz said helium would besides beryllium reunited Tuesday nighttime with his family, who celebrated the news.

On a level home, Fogel, who is from Pennsylvania, was shown with a raised glass, a food sheet and his U.S. passport successful a photograph posted connected societal media by Trump's main hostage envoy Adam Boehler.

Asked what the United States gave up successful speech for Fogel, Trump said: "Not much" and called the merchandise a amusement of bully religion from the Russians.

"We were treated precise nicely by Russia. Actually, I anticipation that's the opening of a narration wherever we tin extremity that (Ukraine) warfare and millions of radical tin halt being killed," Trump said.

Fogel was sentenced to 14 years successful situation for cause smuggling aft helium was detained successful Moscow's Sheremetyevo airdrome successful August 2021 with 17 grams of marijuana successful his luggage. The marijuana had been medically prescribed successful Pennsylvania, wherever it is legal, said Martin De Luca, a subordinate of Fogel's ineligible team.

Witkoff's level was connected the crushed successful Moscow for a fewer hours earlier leaving with Fogel onboard, flying done cardinal Europe and backmost to Washington, De Luca told Reuters.

"We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that aft much than 3 years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is yet coming home," the Fogel household said successful a statement.

"This has been the darkest and astir achy play of our lives, but today, we statesman to heal."

Fogel's Russian lawyer Dmitry Ovsyannikov confirmed the merchandise to authorities quality bureau RIA.

"For the moment, we don't cognize connected what grounds helium was released from wherever helium was serving clip - a pardon oregon thing else," Ovsyannikov told TASS.

He told Russia's Interfax quality bureau that Fogel was past week transferred from a situation successful Rybinsk, northbound of Moscow, to a pre-trial detention halfway successful Moscow up of his release.

Fogel was near retired of a historical swap of prisoners successful August that progressive 24 prisoners - 16 sent from Russia to the West, including Wall Street Journal newsman Evan Gershkovich, and 8 sent backmost to Russia from the West.

Trump has indicated helium has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin but has been vague connected the details different than to accidental helium is insistent connected ending the three-year-old Ukraine war.

"We're making bully advancement there. I think, I truly deliberation we're making immoderate precise bully progress," Trump told reporters astir Ukraine connected Tuesday.