Monday, House Foreign Affairs Committee member and Texas Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) released the following statement in response to Vladimir Putin’s comments on NBC’s ‘Today Show’ regarding Trevor Reed, a U.S. Marine Veteran from Granbury Texas, who is being wrongly imprisoned in Russia as a political pawn.

“Vladimir Putin’s comments smearing Trevor’s character are offensive and patently false. Trevor was convicted in a Russian kangaroo court, with the evidence presented against Trevor so ridiculous it provoked laughter in the courtroom—even from the Russian judge. Trevor is an Eagle Scout and former U.S. Marine who was selected for one of the most elite units in the Corps. President Biden must call for the release of Trevor Reed as a condition for his meeting with Putin this week. It is past time to bring Trevor home and reunite him with his family.”