Russia frees detained American as talks with US on Ukraine begin

Russia has freed an American citizen detained on drug charges, in what the State Department called a "welcome gesture" ahead of a meeting between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia.

American Kalob Wayne Byers, 28, was released earlier this week to the custody of U.S. officials. He was reportedly arrested Feb. 7 at an airport in Moscow with what Russian authorities described as a “significant amount” of drugs.

Reports describe Byers as carrying cannabis-laced gummies in his luggage. Russian authorities have a history of imposing extraordinary penalties on small amounts of marijuana and arresting Americans for leverage in global diplomacy, most notably U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, who spent most of 2023 in a Russian prison.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday Byers's release can be “viewed” in the context of restoring Russian-American relations, The Associated Press reported.

It is not clear if the U.S. traded anything for Byers's release. Last week, the White House released accused Russian money launderer Alexander Vinnik in exchange for Moscow’s release of American Marc Fogel.

President Trump suggested Fogel’s release was an act of “good faith” from the Kremlin, and the next day he held the first public call from office with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Russians turned Kalob Byers over after a few days, which is a welcome gesture. We hope they consider the same for Stephen Hubbard and Ksenia Khavana,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

“We have no further comment at this time on this case. We reiterate our strong warnings about the risk of detention for U.S. citizens in Russia. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our Level 4 Do Not Travel Advisory for Russia.”

Hubbard, 72, was detained by Russian authorities in April 2022. He was sentenced in October to six years and 10 months in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. The State Department declared Khavana as "wrongfully detained" after the U.S.-Russian national was arrested in Russia in February 2024 on allegations of treason related to a $51 donation to a Ukrainian charity. In August, she was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Byers's release occurred shortly before Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday. The meeting marked the first, high-level bilateral meetings between the U.S. and Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine.

While maintaining an embassy in Moscow, the U.S. had few if any contacts with the Russians under former President Biden. Significant U.S. sanctions are in place on Russia imposed over its war in Ukraine, and Trump has threatened additional tariffs if Russia's war in Ukraine doesn't end soon.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the meeting achieved at least three points: to establish communication to “address irritants” in U.S. and Russian relations; to appoint high-level teams to discuss ending “the conflict in Ukraine”; and to lay the groundwork for “economic and investment opportunities” after “a successful end to the conflict in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian and European officials are scrambling to guard against any deals agreed between the U.S. and Russia that would impose conditions on Kyiv and threaten European security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected any talks about Ukraine without Ukraine at the table and postponed a trip to Saudi Arabia planned for Wednesday.

"We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I don't want any coincidences, so I'm not going to Saudi Arabia," Zelensky said Tuesday, after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

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