Marc Fogel, a U. S. citizen freed by the Russian side, has revealed details about his return home. During a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, he stated that he was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Thank you to my country for all the efforts made for my release. I also thank Vladimir Putin. He pardoned me," Marc Fogel said.
Fogel called the Russian leader's decision "very fair and reasonable" and emphasized that Putin showed great generosity.
According to Trump, Putin's decision was a key part of efforts to end the Ukraine conflict.
"You could play a big role in this because it could become a very important step toward ending the war," he told Fogel during a reception at the White House. "We appreciate what President Putin has done," Trump added.
Russia also expressed hope that the successful cooperation in Fogel's case-a 63-year-old schoolteacher from Pennsylvania-would help normalize relations between the two countries.
It was revealed that Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, personally traveled to Moscow for secret negotiations regarding Fogel's release. The two then flew back to Washington together on the same day.
Fogel previously worked at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and later as a teacher at the Anglo-American School. Until 2021, he held diplomatic status.
In 2021, Fogel and his wife were stopped at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport while passing through the "green corridor" after arriving from New York. Their luggage triggered a reaction from sniffer dogs, and Russian law enforcement officers searched his bags. Inside, authorities found 11 grams of marijuana hidden in contact lens cases and 8 grams of hash oil in vape cartridges.
Fogel fully admitted to smuggling the banned substances, stating that the marijuana was for medical use. He claimed he used it to ease the effects of spinal surgery.
As a result, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Investigators suspected he may have used his position to create a drug trafficking channel for distributing substances to students. In December last year, Russia's Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.
The U.S. president stated that another American citizen would be released on Wednesday, February 12, following Fogel.
"Someone else will be freed tomorrow, and you will find out about it," Trump told reporters. However, he did not specify the name of the prisoner or the country where they are being held.