Fogel was detained after Russian officials at Sheremetyevo Airport found roughly half an ounce of legally prescribed medical marijuana in his luggage. The following year, a Russian court convicted him of drug trafficking and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

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“Today, President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia,” national security adviser Mike Waltz said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “Since President Trump’s swearing-in, he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States.”

The White House predicted, “By tonight, Marc Fogel will be on American soil.”

Waltz additionally said Fogel’s release “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 last week that he plans to meet with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, something he promised to do on his first day back in office.

The president did suggest during an interview with Fox News that Ukraine agreed to provide the United States with “like $500 billion” in rare earth metals and minerals in exchange for continued support against the Russian invasion.