The release of American citizen Marc Fogel from a prison in Russia was greeted with joy at the White House when he arrived there February 11. Fogel had spent more than three years of a 14-year sentence in Russia after being unfairly convicted of drug trafficking for possessing a small amount of marijuana prescribed by a doctor.
In exchange for his release, the United States is releasing Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik, who was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring to commit money laundering. As part of the deal, Vinnik will forfeit more $100 million to the U.S. government.
In a statement announcing Marc Fogel’s release, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz said the exchange between the two countries “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.”
One day later, on February 12, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation. President Trump called the conversation “lengthy and highly productive.” He wrote on Truth Social, “As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine. ... We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations," he added. "We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately."
Later the same day, President Trump announced that he spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well. “The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make peace,” President Trump said on Truth Social. “We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the war, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the delegation. I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous war, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, death and destruction. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!”
At a press briefing the same day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared, “The administration is wholeheartedly committed to a peace deal to end, once and for all, the Russia–Ukraine war.”
