Trump envoy announces imminent release of American hostage

The U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, said Tuesday on CNN that "an American hostage will be released tomorrow [Wednesday]," without revealing the detainee’s identity or location. Asked by CNN's Kaitlan Collins on The Source about a possible release from Russia, Boehler responded, "It will be a surprise for tomorrow."

His remarks come as U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure hostage releases appear to be resuming with Moscow.

On Tuesday night, Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia since 2021, returned to the United States as part of a "swap" negotiated by the White House. Fogel, who taught at an American school in Moscow, was sentenced in June 2022 to 14 years in prison for importing cannabis, which he said was for medical use.

"Promise made, promise kept," the White House posted on X, sharing an image of Fogel stepping off a plane. Draped in an American flag, the 63-year-old, visibly emotional, said he felt like "the luckiest man on earth," thanking the U.S. president and his team from the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room.

No details were provided on the exchange, which Trump called a "gesture of goodwill" from the Kremlin and a sign of progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. He also said another American was set to be released but did not elaborate. Several U.S. nationals remain detained in Russia, including Stephen Hubbard and Ksenia Karelina, who are considered wrongfully detained. Trump declined to provide specifics, saying he was awaiting an announcement but described the individual as "very special."

The White House said Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, facilitated Fogel’s return, marking the first known visit by a U.S. official to Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Israeli-Russian researcher held by Iraqi militia

In early February, Boehler publicly pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to secure the release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher from Princeton held by an Iraqi militia.

In a message on X, Boehler accused Sudani of making "false promises" to the Biden administration and warned that he was now "in Donald Trump's sights."

"If she doesn't come home NOW, the Iraqi prime minister is either incapable and should be FIRED, or worse, COMPLICIT. Bring Elizabeth home now!" he wrote.

In late January, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Axios journalist Barak Ravid that Tsurkov was alive and that Baghdad was working to secure her release.