The President of the United States, Donald Trump, welcomed Marc Fogel, an American teacher who spent over three years imprisoned in Russia, at the White House on Tuesday night, following his release in a swap negotiated by the current U.S. administration.
"We should have taken this gentleman out a long time ago. We did it in two and a half weeks... [President Biden] should have taken him out of there three and a half years ago.", Trump said in a message transcribed on X by the White House.
"Thank you all, I love our country and I am very happy to be back here. I wish I could express it better," he stated during a meeting with Trump in the Diplomatic Reception Room.
"Marc Fogel is back! Promises made, promises kept", wrote the White House on X, a platform where numerous images from the evening were shared.
Fogel, a history teacher with a distinguished background in international education, was detained in 2021 at an airport in Moscow when Russian authorities found a quantity of medicinal cannabis in his luggage, prescribed to treat a chronic back problem.
Accused of drug trafficking, he was sentenced in 2022 to 14 years in prison, a sentence that raised concern among his family and in U.S. diplomatic circles.
Before his arrest, Fogel taught classes at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, where he educated the children of diplomats and expatriates.
Born in Pennsylvania, his career led him to teach at various prestigious institutions around the world, establishing himself as a respected educator.
For years, Washington unsuccessfully tried to include Fogel in prisoner exchanges.
Finally, the Trump administration secured her release through an agreement with Russia, the details of which have not been fully disclosed. The White House described the event as a positive step in the relations between the two countries.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed his happiness at the American professor's return home.
A promise kept
Trump, for his part, stated that it was an "honor to have played a small role" in the professor's release. In a message on his X account, he recalled that his involvement in the case was a promise made to Fogel's mother.
"When I saw Marc Fogel's mother at a rally, she said to me, 'If you win, will you get my son out?' I promised her (she is 95 years old) and said, 'We will get him out.' And we managed to do it quite quickly," the president wrote.
The Fogel family, which fought for years for his release, celebrated his return as the conclusion of a difficult chapter.
"This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today we begin to heal," they expressed in a statement.
Frequently asked questions about Marc Fogel's return to the United States
Who is Marc Fogel and why was he imprisoned in Russia?
Marc Fogel is an American teacher who was detained at an airport in Moscow in 2021 for carrying prescribed medicinal cannabis to treat a chronic back problem. He was charged with drug trafficking and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
How did Donald Trump achieve the release of Marc Fogel?
The administration of Donald Trump negotiated an agreement with Russia to release Marc Fogel, a process that was completed in two and a half weeks. Trump emphasized that it was a promise fulfilled to Fogel's mother.
What impact did Marc Fogel's release have on relations between the United States and Russia?
The White House described Marc Fogel's release as a positive development in the relations between the United States and Russia. This act is part of a broader context of exchanges and negotiations between both countries, although the specifics of the agreement have not been disclosed.
What did Marc Fogel say after his return to the United States?
Marc Fogel expressed his happiness about being back in the United States and thanked everyone who made his release possible. He stated that he is very happy to return and expressed his love for the country.
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