Diyar Guldogan
12 February 2025•Update: 12 February 2025
WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he hopes Russia's release of an American detainee could mark the “beginning of a relationship” with Moscow to end its war with Ukraine.
"We were treated very nicely by Russia," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
"Actually, I hope that's the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed," he added.
His remarks came after Moscow released American Marc Fogel, who was held since 2021 on charges of bringing medical marijuana into Russia.
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz announced that Trump and his special envoy Steve Witkoff negotiated an exchange that "serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine."
Trump told reporters that the war must be stopped.
Fogel, a schoolteacher, was serving a 14-year sentence in Russia on drug charges and was designated as "wrongfully detained" by the US in 2024.
Dmitry Ovsyannikov, Fogel’s lawyer, also confirmed his release in comments to the Russian state news agency TASS, saying Fogel will arrive in the US later Tuesday.
"We do not yet know on what grounds he was released from prison -- by an act of pardon or in some other way," Ovsyannikov was quoted as saying.
Russian authorities have yet to confirm the developments.
