(NewsNation) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NewsNation that American teacher Marc Fogel’s Tuesday release from Russia is cause for “celebration.”
“Anytime an American comes home who’s being held overseas like this situation is, it’s a time for celebration,” Rubio said. “We’re happy for him and for his family. It’s a case we’ve followed very closely for a number of years.”
Rubio and hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler joined “CUOMO” via phone on their way to pick up American teacher Marc Fogel, whose release from Russian detainment was secured by the Trump administration Tuesday.
The pair pointed out that Russia asked for nothing in return when releasing Fogel, which Rubio said shows “President Trump’s commitment to bringing home Americans.”
-
Image of Marc Fogel, an American history teacher who is being detained in Russia on marijuana charges. (Credit: Anne Fogel) -
FILE – Lisa Hyland, left, and other family members of Marc Fogel, who has been detained in Russia since August 2021, rally outside the White House for his release, July 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
Fogel was arrested for bringing medical marijuana into Russia in 2021. In 2022, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. On Tuesday, the Trump administration secured his return home.
The U.S. government did not initially label Fogel as unlawfully detained, despite doing so in a similar case involving WNBA star Brittney Griner.
In 2024, the Biden administration negotiated the release of Americans, including journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva as well as Whelan.
Paul Whelan: No way Russia wanted nothing for Marc Fogel
Though Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump maintain that the country wanted nothing in return, retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was held as a Russian prisoner for more than five years, tells “CUOMO” he doesn’t buy it.
“The whole reason they hold Americans, the whole reason they hold the Tajiks and Uzbeks, is so that they can exact some sort of price.” Whelan said, adding that these arrests are more like “kidnapping.”
He clarified that he doesn’t believe politicians are necessarily lying about Russia’s wants, but rather that there are “things that are done under the table.”
No stranger to Russian prison conditions and thought processes, Whelan told NewsNation: “They want some sort of exchange. They want sanctions relief. They want some sort of, you know, détente with the Ukraine situation.”
NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer contributed to this report.