Nicolai Haugsted
American held since 2022 walks free after Putin approves pardon.
Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman has returned to the United States after being released from a Russian prison, ending more than three years in custody following negotiations between Washington and Moscow.
President Donald Trump announced the release on Tuesday, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to pardon the 32-year-old for humanitarian reasons.
A U.S. State Department aircraft carrying Gilman landed at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, where he was welcomed by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff arrived with hamburgers and milkshakes after Trump revealed that Gilman had requested a cheeseburger upon returning to American soil.
“He can now fully return to his family and receive the medical care he needs,” Witkoff said according to Reuters.
According to U.S. officials, Gilman will now travel to a rehabilitation facility in San Antonio, Texas, for further treatment.
Health concerns grew in Russian custody
Gilman had been imprisoned in Voronezh, south of Moscow, since 2022.
Although officials have not disclosed the full extent of his medical condition, his family’s representatives previously said he had been transferred from a prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian hospital after reportedly entering a catatonic-like state.
A U.S. official who recently spoke with Gilman offered a more optimistic assessment.
“All things considered, he seems to be in good shape,” the official said.
Gilman, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2019 to 2020, was arrested while traveling by train in Russia in January 2022.
Russian authorities accused him of assaulting a police officer while intoxicated, leading to a prison sentence of four and a half years.
His father has consistently disputed the allegations, arguing that Gilman became ill during the incident and accidentally struck the officer, who was reportedly uninjured and later dropped the complaint.
No prisoner swap, officials say
Trump said Russia released Gilman after discussions with Putin and emphasized that no concessions were made in return.
U.S. officials likewise stated that no Russian prisoners were exchanged as part of the agreement, describing the move as a humanitarian gesture approved personally by Putin.
On social media, Trump also shared a photo of Gilman aboard the flight home and wrote that the former Marine had asked for a cheeseburger after landing.
“I will take care of that!” Trump wrote.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Gilman is among roughly 100 Americans whose release the Trump administration says it has helped secure during the president’s second term, while calling for the release of other U.S. citizens still detained in Russia, including retired schoolteacher Stephen Hubbard.
