Trump welcomes Marc Fogel after launch from Russian jail, thanks Putin for this choice | N18G
Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher, was launched by Russia after serving three and a half years in jail. Fogel, who was detained in Moscow in August 2021 with 17 grams of medically prescribed marijuana, had been sentenced to 14 years for drug smuggling. On February 11, 2025, Fogel was welcomed on the White Home by U.S. President Donald Trump, expressing gratitude for his launch and calling himself “the luckiest man on earth.” Trump praised the discharge as a possible step towards enhancing U.S.-Russia relations and ending the struggle in Ukraine. Each Trump and Fogel thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the choice. The discharge occurred as a part of Trump’s broader efforts to reinforce diplomatic relations with Moscow, with Trump hinting at one other launch to happen shortly. Fogel’s launch was coordinated by Trump’s Center East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who visited Moscow to carry him house.