After more than four years behind Russian bars, Marine veteran Robert Gilman has returned to American soil, freed on humanitarian grounds following direct diplomacy by the Trump administration.
Gilman, a U.S. citizen, was arrested on January 17, 2022, in Voronezh, Russia, and was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison across multiple convictions involving altercations with prison staff.
President Donald Trump announced that Gilman would land at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night, noting the veteran had one request upon landing.
“He had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump said, a promise that was personally fulfilled by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Sebastian Gorka, a deputy assistant to the president, confirmed Gilman’s arrival on X early Wednesday, writing, “Our Marine is safely back on American soil.”
“As President Donald Trump promised, Steve Witkoff brought Robert Gilman cheeseburgers and milkshakes!” Gorka wrote, sharing video footage of an aircraft coming to a stop on the tarmac.
Gorka added that he personally “snuck him a cigar for when he’s fully recovered,” and that a White House team member presented Gilman with his own United States Marine Corps flag upon arrival.
“There are very few jobs like this one,” Gorka wrote. “No American left behind.”
Witkoff described the occasion as “a special night welcoming an American citizen home to his family and country,” adding, “Thank you POTUS for never leaving anyone behind.”
In a separate post, Witkoff called Gilman “a patriot — a former United States Marine who served our country with honor,” adding that “he can now finally return to his family and receive the medical care he needs.”
Witkoff credited Trump’s leadership for the result, noting that Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina were also previously brought home from Russia under the current administration.
Trump confirmed on Truth Social that the release came after direct discussions with President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing no exchange took place in return for Gilman’s freedom.
“After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis,” Trump wrote. “We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place.”
Trump also confirmed that Gilman was reunited with his mother, Nancy, who was on the aircraft with him, and would soon be able to see the rest of his loved ones.
Gilman is the third U.S. Marine to be taken prisoner in Russia in the past decade, following Paul Whelan’s detention in 2018 and Trevor Reed’s in 2019, both of whom were released through prisoner swaps.
The U.S. State Department had classified Gilman as a wrongful detainee, a designation that helped sustain diplomatic pressure on Moscow throughout his imprisonment.
Gilman’s initial conviction in 2022 for assaulting a police officer carried a sentence of three and a half years, but subsequent convictions in 2024 and again in December 2025 extended his total sentence to ten years.
His release after 1,666 days marks a significant moment in U.S.-Russia relations and reflects what the Trump administration is framing as a broader commitment to securing the freedom of Americans held abroad.
