Former Marine Released from Russian Prison
In a move that surprised pundits, President Donald Trump announced that Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine, has been freed from a Russian detention center after a humanitarian decision made with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said no prisoner swap took place.
Gilman was jailed in 2022 for allegedly kicking a police officer aboard a train bound for Moscow and had been in a catatonic state before moving to a civilian hospital in Russia.
Trump claimed he spoke to Gilman on the phone, "he had one request – a great cheeseburger when he lands" – and the family praised the president for saving his brother’s life.
Human‑rights advocates say Gilman suffered repeated abuse, including forced exercise and psychotropic drugs. His case highlights the plight of Americans still detained abroad.
The U.S. now aims to secure the release of five others still held in Russian prisons, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to continue the effort.
