Russia frees the American prisoner after discussions with Trump sent

President Trump obtained on Tuesday the release of an American imprisoned in Russia as part of an agreement with the Kremlin negotiated by Mr. Trump’s special envoy in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

Marc Fogel, a teacher who was arrested to bring medical marijuana to Russia in August 2021, was released by the Kremlin and transported from the country on Mr. Witkoff’s plane. Although he began to serve a 14 -year sentence in June 2022, Mr. Fogel was only wrapped as Biden administration at the end of last year.

Mr. Witkoff, a billionaire real estate director of New York and close friend of Mr. Trump, had secretly negotiated the agreement, although his presence in Moscow has become apparent when he stole his private jet, alerting trackers Online flight. It was the first known trip to Moscow by a senior American official since William J. Burns, then the director of the CIA, flew to the Russian capital in November 2021 to try to trigger an invasion of Ukraine.

Mike Waltz, Mr. Trump’s national security advisor, said in a statement that Mr. Witkoff, in the direction of the president, had Fagel out of Russia out of his plane in the context of an exchange. But he has provided no details that the United States or an ally had released someone in return or what other measures that the administration had taken to win Mr. Fogel’s release.

“President Trump, Steve Witkoff and the President’s advisers negotiated an exchange that serves as a good faith of the Russians and a sign that we are going in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine,” said Mr. Waltz.