In a significant diplomatic move, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Adam Boehler, traveled to Iraq last month to intensify efforts to secure the release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher who was kidnapped nearly two years ago. The visit, confirmed by three people familiar with the matter, underscores the urgency of the case as well as the Trump administration’s commitment to finding a resolution.
Elizabeth Tsurkov is a Princeton University student that went missing on a research trip to Iraq in March 2023. Her abductors said she would not be released until the Israeli occupation forces liberated Palestinian prisoners in their custody, according to a video posted on social media. Boehler has made Tsurkov’s case a priority since taking his post, publicly encouraging the Iraqi government to take decisive steps to find and release her.
“The Trump Administration has done more in just a few weeks than the previous administration did in almost two years,” said Emma Tsurkov, Elizabeth’s sister, in a statement to Reuters. “I am especially grateful to Special Envoy Boehler for going directly to meet with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad. His engagement with Sudani makes it clear that the U.S. holds Sudani responsible for finding a way to get my sister home.”
Boehler’s visit to Iraq in February marked a critical step in the ongoing efforts to resolve Tsurkov’s case. An Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed the meeting but declined to comment further. The discussions apparently focused on coordinating operations between the U.S. and Iraqi governments to locate Tsurkov and secure her safe release.
Tsurkov’s kidnapping has raised alarms about the safety of researchers and journalists working in conflict areas. As a dual Israeli-Russian citizen, Tsurkov’s case has added other layers of already complex geopolitics. Israel and Iraq do not have formal diplomatic relations to speak of, and that makes negotiations difficult; the United States’ involvement as mediator keeps alive a hope, however flickering, for her family and supporters.
Boehler’s visit highlights the Trump administration’s active approach to hostage diplomacy. Since his arrival in office, Boehler has been working around the clock to secure the release of Americans and other foreign nationals abroad. His engagement with the Tsurkov case indicates the administration’s own wider strategy of high-level diplomatic intervention in resolving crises of this magnitude.
The prolonged absence of Elizabeth Tsurkov creates an unbearable state for her family members. Emma Tsurkov devotes her advocacy to Elizabeth’s freedom by continuously organizing campaigns which pressure governments to take meaningful action. The brilliant researcher Elizabeth is in Iraq because she aimed to study the region so she could add to academic knowledge according to her sister Emma. Her family and loved ones together with her academic pursuits demand that she returns home.
Elaborations in dangerous regions for truth and knowledge expose individuals to severe threats as the ongoing search for Elizabeth Tsurkov illustrates. Relief continues within the international community due to the combined activities of Iraqi and U.S. governments which promise Elizabeth Tsurkov’s safe return to end this difficult period for her family and friends.
The increased attention toward hostage affairs during the Trump administration delivers renewed hope to families whose loved ones remain missing abroad. Elizabeth’s homecoming initiative gained speed after Boehler’s recent journey to Iraq because of a determined push to solve this widely known abduction case.
