The Kremlin is suggesting that another U.S.-Russia prisoner swap could be coming, just days after the release of two Americans who were detained by Russia, a report says.
The Kremlin said Thursday that the idea of a possible new prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. is on the agenda, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov noting that talks between both sides this week in Saudi Arabia contributed to a general rapprochement, according to Reuters.
At least 10 Americans remain held in Russia, the news agency reported. Kalob Byers, a 28-year-old American citizen detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges earlier this month, was freed ahead of Tuesday’s talks in Riyadh.
Byers’ release came as Marc Fogel, a U.S. citizen who was detained on drug charges in Russia four years ago, was released last week in exchange for Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, who had been held by the U.S. government on cryptocurrency fraud charges.
After his arrival in the U.S., Fogel, from Pennsylvania, met with President Donald Trump at the White House and called him a hero for securing his release.
U.S. and Russian officials held diplomatic talks in Saudi Arabia without any Ukrainian officials present on Tuesday.
The groups, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, were seeking terms for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well as negotiating a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce also confirmed that Rubio’s team agreed to ‘lay the groundwork for cooperation’ with Russia on various issues in addition to Ukraine.
Fox News’ Landon Mion, Anders Hagstrom, Jacqui Heinrich and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.