4President Donald Trump praised the release of an American jailed in Russia, saying he hoped the gesture would allow the two countries to collaborate on settling the conflict in Ukraine. “I think there’s goodwill, in terms of the war,” Trump said as he greeted Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher detained in Russia since 2021. “I think this could be the very important element, you could be a big part of it, actually, because it could be a big, important part of getting the war over with Ukraine.” Trump told reporters that the circumstances of the release were “very fair,” but did not elaborate on what, if any, concessions the US had made. Asked if he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the matter, Trump responded, “I don’t want to say that, I just want to say that I appreciate very much what they did in letting Mark go home.”

Trump also hinted at another release, saying “somebody else very special” is returning home on Wednesday without specifying who or where. Trump stated he’d make an announcement the following day. Steve Witkoff, the billionaire who serves as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the Middle East, and other US officials secured Fogel’s release. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being accused of trying to enter the nation with medical marijuana.

In a statement released earlier Tuesday, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz described it 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.” The exchange comes as Trump steps up his efforts to broker a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine, as he promised during the campaign. Earlier Tuesday, Trump said he was sending Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump has stated that in exchange for continuing support, he wants Ukraine to guarantee that the US will have access to vital mineral riches in the country. On Tuesday night, Trump sidestepped a question about whether he intended to release up to $4 billion in military aid for Ukraine that was handed over from the previous administration.

Retired general Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, will present options to end the war in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. Kellogg will gather input from officials at the Munich Security Conference and during visits to Kyiv and other European capitals, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. Trump also told the New York Post in an interview Friday that he had spoken