Russia freed former US Marine Robert Gilman on Tuesday after nearly four years of detention, US President Donald Trump announced. Gilman, 32, had been jailed in Russia since 2022 on charges of assaulting a police officer and was serving a sentence of seven years and one month.
Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the release, adding that Putin agreed to free Gilman “very much on a humanitarian basis” and “asked for no one in return.” The announcement marked the latest chapter in a complex diplomatic relationship between Washington and Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Gilman’s health had deteriorated significantly in recent weeks. He was recently transferred to a Russian civilian hospital in what his sister and advocacy groups described as a dire condition, with reports indicating he had been in a catatonic-like state. The White House and State Department had urgently urged Moscow to release him so he could receive medical treatment in the United States.
Russia’s court system had previously handed Gilman an extended sentence, adding time to his original conviction. His case drew attention from human rights organizations and US officials who questioned the fairness of his detention and the conditions of his imprisonment.
The release comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the West. The US Senate recently passed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, which would impose penalties on countries continuing to buy Russian energy. Several other Americans remain detained in Russia, including Stephen Hubbard, who was recently sentenced on mercenary charges.
Russia has periodically released detained Americans in recent years, sometimes as part of broader diplomatic negotiations. In previous cases, prisoner swaps have been used as leverage, though Trump indicated this particular release involved no reciprocal concessions from Washington.
Gilman’s case highlights the ongoing human cost of US-Russia diplomatic friction. As the two nations remain at odds over Ukraine, energy sanctions, and global security, the fate of detained citizens on both sides continues to serve as a barometer of the broader relationship between Moscow and Washington.
Sources: Reuters, The New York Times, CBS News
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