Trump Takes AS Kian Mesra With Russia, Will Talk About New Prisoner Swap

The Kremlin said plans to exchange new prisoners between Russia and the United States were on the agenda after Moscow and Washington agreed to start trying to restore relations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov when asked by reporters about a possible new exchange, said US-Russia talks on Tuesday in Riyadh contributed to the restoration of public relations between the US and Russia.

At least 10 Americans are still behind bars in Russia, including two people who are considered 'mispropriated detention' by Washington.

Reported by Reuters on Thursday, February 20, Moscow released an American citizen, Kalob Byers, days before the Russian and American delegations met in the Saudi capital.

Earlier this month, Russia released Marc Fogel, a US school teacher who served 14 years in prison for drug smuggling after being caught at Moscow airport with a small amount of marijuana.

He was released in exchange for Alexander Vinnik, Russia's cybercrime boss who pleaded guilty to money laundering, after being extradited from Greece.

The prisoner swap comes after a much larger exchange of prisoners last August, involving the United States, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, Russia, and Belarus.

Among those released at the time were Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter jailed in Russia on espionage charges, which he denied, the newspaper, and the US government.