US President Donald Trump said his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin helped secure the release of former US Marine Robert Gilman, who had spent more than four years in Russian custody. Trump said Russia agreed to release Gilman on humanitarian grounds following their conversations and stressed that no prisoner exchange was involved. The announcement came as Washington and Moscow continue diplomatic engagement on several issues, with the release providing another example of direct intervention by senior US and Russian officials in the case of an American detained in Russia.
“After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump also shared a photograph showing Gilman aboard an aircraft, wearing a baseball cap and holding an American flag. Gilman appeared significantly thinner in the photograph and was pictured alongside several people who were smiling. Trump said the United States appreciated Russia's decision to release the former Marine and specifically noted that Moscow had not requested anyone in return.
Trump said there had been no prisoner exchange as part of the arrangement. “We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return -- No exchange took place,” he wrote. His comments presented Gilman's release as a humanitarian decision reached through discussions with Putin rather than as part of a broader swap of detainees between the two countries. The development comes against the backdrop of strained US-Russia relations and Washington's continued efforts to secure the release of Americans detained abroad.
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Gilman was sentenced in 2022 by a court in southwestern Russia to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of assaulting a police officer. His legal troubles subsequently became more serious after his sentence was extended to 10 years following allegations that he had used violence against prison staff. The extended sentence meant that Gilman remained in Russian custody for years beyond his initial punishment, making his eventual release a significant development for his family and US officials involved in his case.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed Gilman's release and thanked Russia for cooperating with US officials. In a statement, Rubio credited Russia with working with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to facilitate Gilman's release. Rubio also said the arrangement would allow Gilman to receive necessary medical treatment in the United States. The reference to medical care indicates that concerns over Gilman's health were an important element of the circumstances surrounding his return, although the details of his medical condition were not provided in the statement.
Gilman's release marks another instance in which diplomatic engagement has played a role in securing the return of an American held overseas. Trump has repeatedly highlighted his personal discussions with foreign leaders when announcing the release of US citizens, and in this case he directly attributed the outcome to his conversations with Putin. The US president's account was supported by Rubio's acknowledgment of Russian cooperation with Witkoff, although the officials did not provide details about the precise discussions or arrangements that preceded the release. For Gilman, the immediate outcome is his return to the United States after more than four years in Russian custody, where he can now receive the medical treatment cited by the State Department.
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