Washington [US], February 13: The White House announced yesterday (December 12) that Russia had released American citizen Marc Fogel in an exchange that was "a show of goodwill" and a sign that it was moving in the right direction to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Mr. Fogel, a history teacher, was arrested at a Moscow airport in 2021 for carrying marijuana. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, despite claiming that the drug was prescribed by a doctor to treat spinal pain, according to CNN. The US called his detention a mistake.
US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff attended the talks in Russia and accompanied Mr. Fogel back home. President Donald Trump welcomed Mr. Fogel to the White House on the evening of February 11 and said that Russia's move could be an important part of ending the fighting in Ukraine. He added that another US citizen would be released on February 12.
Earlier, President Trump suggested that the conflict could end and warned that Ukraine could one day become Russian territory if it did not accept negotiations. The leader announced that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would visit Ukraine this week. Reuters quoted a source as saying that Mr. Bessent would discuss US access to energy resources, rare earths and the future of some Ukrainian state-owned enterprises. Earlier, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz also mentioned Ukraine's oil and gas resources.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently hinted at his willingness to negotiate with the United States on the issue of natural resources. In addition, in an interview with The Guardian published on February 11, Mr. Zelensky emphasized that Europe cannot provide security guarantees to Ukraine without the United States. On the other hand, Mr. Zelensky said that if President Trump can bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, he is ready to exchange the land that Kyiv controls in the Kursk region (Russia) for the parts that Moscow holds in Ukraine. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev yesterday rejected this "absurd" proposal of Mr. Zelensky.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
