U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said some things were still up in the air when he hopped on his jet to Russia to discuss the potential release of American school teacher Marc Fogel.
Witkoff, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, said Wednesday on “Hannity” that someone who is an intermediary between the United States and Russian governments reached out with an opportunity to bring Fogel back.
A plan was presented to the president and members of his Cabinet, including national security advisor Mike Waltz and CIA director John Ratcliffe, who deemed the information “credible” and “actionable.”
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Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania history teacher who was working at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, returned to U.S. soil Tuesday night, after Russia, where he had been detained since 2021, released him following talks with Trump administration officials. (The White House via X)
Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Witkoff if he knew the ultimate outcome when he got on the jet.
“You know, we thought we had a very, very good chance of Marc coming back. We weren’t positive. There were still some things that I’m not at liberty to talk about tonight,” the real estate investor said.
“We thought it was a strong enough opportunity that we had to go and, hopefully, we’d have a good result. And, of course, we did. So I’m grateful for that and grateful for the Fogel family.”
Fogel was released Tuesday after he spent roughly three years in a Russian prison on drug charges. He was not included in the August 2024 mass prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that saw Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan freed.
This image released by the White House shows Evan Gershkovich, left, Alsu Kurmasheva, right, and Paul Whelan, second from right, and others aboard a plane, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, following their release from Russian captivity. (White House via AP)
The White House announced Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering, would be released as part of the Fogel exchange.
Witkoff declined to comment on whether he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip.
Fogel met with Trump late Tuesday night at the White House wearing an American flag draped across his shoulders.
“I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” he said, praising the president and his team as “heroes” for securing his release and bringing him home.
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U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Marc Fogel back to the United States after being released from Russian custody, at the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania was serving a 14-year prison sentence after being arrested at an airport in Moscow in August 2021 for possessing cannabis, which he reportedly used to treat chronic back pain. He was released earlier today as part of an exchange negotiated by the Trump administration. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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“I think he [Fogel] was pinching himself even after three-and-a-half years in prison. I think he considered himself to be fortunate. He’s an example of a very, very courageous person and I’m glad I had the privilege to meet him, to know him,” Witkoff said. “I’ll stay in touch with him and play a small part in getting him his freedom.”
