A Russian citizen will soon return home as part of a prisoner exchange involving American teacher Marc Fogel, the Kremlin confirmed Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said discussions between Moscow and Washington had intensified in recent days, leading to Fogel's release as well as the return of "one of the citizens of the Russian Federation" who had been detained in the United States. The individual's identity will be revealed once they arrive in Russia, Peskov added.
Fogel, who had been designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department, arrived at the White House late Tuesday, draped in an American flag. He was greeted by President Donald Trump, who described the moment as "an honor to have played a small role" in securing Fogel's release.
Trump also hinted that another American may be released soon. Several U.S. citizens remain in Russian custody, including Stephen Hubbard and Russian-American dual national Ksenia Karelina, both classified by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained.
A senior White House official had earlier told CNN that Fogel's release was not structured as a direct one-for-one swap. "I think you will see the president give consideration if there are some nonviolent people... But you will not see a one-for-one thing happening at the same time," said Adam Boehler, Trump's special envoy for hostage affairs, on Tuesday.
According to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, the deal to bring Fogel home was negotiated by Trump, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and the president's advisers. In a notable diplomatic move, Witkoff personally traveled to Russia to escort Fogel back—marking a rare instance of high-level U.S. travel to Russia since the country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Speaking alongside Boehler, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Fogel's release was not tied to resolving the war in Ukraine but described Russia's willingness to negotiate as a "good sign." Addressing the ongoing conflict, Rubio added, "We don't just want to see it end. We want to see it end in a way that's sustainable."
