Trump reacts to release of teacher detained by Russia and mentions Ukraine

US President Donald Trump welcomed American teacher Marc Fogel, who had been released from Russian imprisonment, at the White House on the evening of Tuesday, 11 February. Fogel had been held in Russia since 2021.

CNN noted that Fogel arrived at the White House wrapped in a US flag, where he was greeted by Trump. Trump said that it was "an honour to have played a small role" in Fogel’s release.

"Thank you all, and I love our country, and I’m so happy to be back here. And I wish I could articulate it better," Fogel said.

President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow on 11 February to retrieve US citizen Marc Fogel, a teacher who spent over three years in Russian custody on drug possession charges.

US President Donald Trump welcomed the release of the American and expressed hope that this step would allow the two countries to work towards ending the war in Ukraine.