**In a recent statement, the Kremlin revealed that a Russian national held in the U.S. will soon be released, closely following the return of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel.**
**Kremlin Announces Imminent Release of Russian Prisoner Following U.S. Teacher's Return**
**Kremlin Announces Imminent Release of Russian Prisoner Following U.S. Teacher's Return**
**Moscow indicates a reciprocal exchange tied to the release of Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher imprisoned in Russia.**
The Kremlin announced that a Russian citizen currently imprisoned in the United States will be released “in the coming days,” following the recent return of Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher who had been detained in Russia. Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, indicated that bilateral discussions had successfully paved the way for this exchange, although the identity of the Russian prisoner has not yet been disclosed.
Peskov remarked that intense negotiations between the U.S. and Russia facilitated the dual releases, which included Fogel's return home this week. It was emphasized that the Russian citizen would be flown back to Russia shortly after.
Marc Fogel, 63, who had served over three years in a Russian prison, arrived in the U.S. from Moscow on a private jet, accompanied by Steve Witkoff, who serves as President Trump's envoy for the Middle East and has taken on additional responsibilities related to Russia and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Upon his arrival, Fogel expressed gratitude to Trump for his role in securing his release.
The White House characterized the situation as an “exchange,” though specifics surrounding the Russian counterpart's details remain unclear. Fogel had been working at the Anglo-American School of Moscow for nearly a decade before his arrest at a Moscow airport in August 2021, where he was found in possession of cannabis, which his attorney stated was for medicinal purposes related to his back pain. In June 2022, he was convicted of what Russian authorities deemed “large-scale drug smuggling” and received a 14-year sentence in a labor camp.
This development highlights ongoing issues surrounding U.S.-Russia relations, particularly concerning prisoner exchanges amidst geopolitical tensions.
