In brief
The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that a Russian citizen held in the United States will be released “in the coming days,” following the recent return of Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher. Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesperson, revealed that high-level discussions between Russia and the U.S. facilitated both Fogel's release and that of the unnamed Russian prisoner. Although Peskov did not specify the identity of the Russian individual slated for release, he indicated it would only be disclosed after the exchange takes place. U.S. officials have yet to respond to inquiries regarding the deal.
Fogel, who had spent over three years imprisoned in Russia after being accused of drug smuggling for traveling with cannabis he claimed was for medical use, returned to U.S. soil aboard a private jet and was welcomed by former President Trump. Fogel had been a teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow for nearly a decade before his 2021 arrest. The White House described the event as an “exchange,” although specifics regarding the terms remain unclear.
