The Kremlin has hinted at the possibility of another prisoner swap between the United States and Russia following the recent release of two Americans detained by Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that discussions between the two countries during meetings in Saudi Arabia have paved the way for potential negotiations on a new prisoner exchange.
Reports indicate that there are still at least 10 Americans being held in Russia. One of the recent releases was Kalob Byers, a 28-year-old American who was detained on drug smuggling charges. Byers' release coincided with talks in Riyadh earlier this week.
Prior to Byers' release, another American named Marc Fogel was freed after being detained in Russia for four years on drug charges. Fogel's release was part of a swap deal that involved Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, who was held in the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges.
Following his return to the U.S., Fogel met with President Donald Trump at the White House and expressed gratitude for his role in securing his release.
Diplomatic discussions between U.S. and Russian officials took place in Saudi Arabia, focusing on potential peace agreements in Ukraine and the prospect of a meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Notably, Ukrainian officials were not present during these talks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led the respective delegations during the negotiations. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed that the discussions aimed to establish a foundation for collaboration with Russia on various issues beyond Ukraine.
