Members of the administration for President Donald Trump, left, are indicating that the release of Marc Fogel from Vladirmir Putin’s, right, Russia signals that Russia’s war with Ukraine is moving to an end. (Jim Watson – AFP / Getty Images ; Emmanuel Dunan – AFP / Getty Images)
By C. Douglas Golden February 12, 2025 at 5:04am
Could the release of a schoolteacher held in Russia since 2021 be a “sign” that the Trump administration is brokering a peace with Moscow over the war with Ukraine?
That’s at least what White House national security advisor Michael Waltz is saying after securing the freedom of Marc Fogel, who had been held by Putin’s Russia since 2021.
Fogel, a Pennsylvania man who was imprisoned for medical marijuana and sentenced to 14 years in prison in the country, was designated as “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. government in October 2024, KDKA-TV reported.
The move came after Fogel’s family criticized then-President Joe Biden for securing the release of other Americans — including WNBA star Brittney Griner — while not securing Fogel’s release.
“The United States hasn’t really done anything to further his cause, and Russia is probably just complacent. They don’t care,” his mother, Malphine Fogel, said last August, according to CBS News.
As of Tuesday night, however, Fogel is back on American soil:
MARC FOGEL IS BACK!!! 🇺🇸
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!!! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZMceoU0OfA
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 12, 2025
Waltz had previously announced that Fogel was leaving Russian airspace with Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy to the Middle East, who played a role in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Real time photo of Marc@Fogel@coming home. @realDonaldTrump @SteveWitkoff @StateSPEHA pic.twitter.com/FIAm8fwZtL
— Adam Boehler (@aboehler) February 11, 2025
“I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” Fogel said during a media briefing with President Trump in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room, adding that Trump was “a hero” for negotiating his return, according to CBS News.
“I’m a middle-class school teacher who’s now in a dream world,” he added.
Fogel’s family was elated, as well.
“We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home,” they said in a statement.
“Thanks to the unwavering leadership of President Trump, Marc will soon be back on American soil, free where he belongs. This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal.”
The teacher’s legal team also praised the Trump administration for its work in getting him released.
“Marc Fogel’s release is historic, long overdue, and a testament to the power of strong leadership,” lawyers Martin De Luca and Andrew Smith said.
“After years of bureaucratic inaction including consistent refusals to designate Marc as wrongfully detained, President Trump secured Marc’s release in just a few weeks, wasting no time in taking decisive action to bring Marc home.”
Even Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who represents Fogel’s home state of Pennsylvania, applauded the White House.
Marc Fogel’s return home is long overdue—and I know all of Pennsylvania, especially his family, will be welcoming him back with open arms.
I want to thank @POTUS and @SteveWitkoff for their efforts in finally bringing Marc home. https://t.co/HPwJPKWP5M
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) February 11, 2025
While there were no details on what was involved in the swap, Waltz indicated that the move signaled bigger things to come.
“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,” Waltz said in a statement.
“Since President Trump’s swearing-in, he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States.”
Trump himself, meanwhile, said the release “could be a big, important part of getting the war over,” according to Bloomberg.
Will Trump end the war in Ukraine within two months?
Nor is this just idle talk because of Fogel’s release; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant is set to visit Ukraine this week, the first member of the new president’s cabinet to visit the country.
Bessant is expected to take a harder line with Ukraine on the costs of the war, arguing Kyiv’s natural resources must play a part in paying for its defense.
“We need to recoup those costs, and that is going to be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their rare earths, their natural resources, and their oil and gas, and also buying ours,” Waltz said during a Sunday appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“Those conversations are going to happen this week.”
Trump promised to get both sides to the table when it came to the Russia-Ukraine War and to forge and equitable peace. While these two events can’t be taken as proof positive that a conclusion to the conflict is near, it’s also clear the administration is keen on shaking up the status quo — something the Biden administration seemed happy to maintain.
Whether that’s a “sign” a change is coming to the situation there will depend on what happens over the coming weeks, but at least the opening act looks positive.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he’s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
Birthplace
Morristown, New Jersey
Education
Catholic University of America
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Topics of Expertise
American Politics, World Politics, Culture
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