Trump promises ‘a great cheeseburger’ to marine veteran freed from Russian prison
US President Donald Trump announced that American citizen and former marine Robert Gilman has been released from Russian custody and is on his way back to the United States, saying Russia agreed to free him on humanitarian grounds with no exchange involved.“I am proud to announce that American Citizen Robert Gilman, a former United States Marine, is coming HOME!” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis. We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place.”Trump said Gilman would land at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC, on Tuesday night, where representatives would welcome him back. He added that he had spoken to Gilman, who had one request: “A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands. I will take care of that!”“During my Administration, we have prioritized bringing home Americans Detained Abroad, and have done so at a level never seen before, returning hundreds of people to their families,” Trump said.Gilman, 32, had been in Russian custody since 2022, when he was arrested for allegedly beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance. He was initially sentenced to three years, but his sentence was extended multiple times, to seven years in 2024 and later to 10 years after additional convictions for assaulting prison guards.His health deteriorated significantly during his detention. Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer for the nonprofit Global Reach, which represented Gilman’s family, said he had been moved in June from a prison hospital to a psychiatric ward in a “dissociative stupor” due to abuse he suffered in prison.“Reports received from hospital officials conveyed Robert’s status as dire and life-threatening,” Global Reach said in a statement. “This spurred the US government into action that culminated in a unilateral humanitarian release of Robert by the Russian authorities, for which we are grateful.”Senator Ed Markey, whose office worked closely with the family, said Gilman was “essentially catatonic” and also suffered a severe case of pneumonia. “We don’t yet know the full details of his current condition or the long-term impact on his recovery,” he said.“I am so grateful to President Trump for saving my brother’s life,” Gilman’s sister Lexie Hudson said. “There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action.”Trump thanked his team, including Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler, Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, and Jared Kushner.
