Russia Releases Another American Citizen Ahead of Riyadh Negotiations

Russia has released another American citizen who was detained for allegedly carrying a small amount of marijuana at one of the country's airports. Caleb Byers Wayne, 28, was arrested on February 8 at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. Mr. Wayne was released on the evening of February 27, just hours before negotiations between Russia and the United States began in Saudi Arabia to explore possibilities for ending the war in Ukraine. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, indirectly confirmed the connection between the release of this American man and the meeting of Russian and American officials in Saudi Arabia, stating, 'The negotiations on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia are about restoring relations between Moscow and Washington, and therefore, specific events can be observed in this regard.' The American delegation to Saudi Arabia includes senior officials such as Tim Waltz, National Security Advisor at the White House, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, and Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Representative for the Middle East, who were appointed by Donald Trump last week to lead negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Caleb Byers Wayne was arrested on the same day that Trump administration and Russian officials were conducting final negotiations for the release of Mark Vogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia. According to the New York Times, Mr. Wayne's arrest complicated confidential communications led by Steve Witkoff for Mr. Vogel's release and delayed the release of this imprisoned teacher for several days. Nevertheless, those negotiations resulted in Mr. Vogel's release, and he was welcomed by Donald Trump upon arriving in the U.S. on February 12. Mark Vogel was also arrested in the summer of 2021 for possessing 14 grams of marijuana in Russia. A Russian court sentenced him to 14 years in prison for 'attempting to sell drugs to students.' Mr. Vogel's 95-year-old mother had urged Trump during his election campaign to work for her son's release if elected president. Mr. Vogel, his mother, and his legal team credited the teacher's release to the diplomatic efforts of Trump's team and hailed it as a sign of 'strong leadership' from the president. According to the New York Times, in exchange for Mark Vogel's release, Alexander Vinnik, a Russian citizen serving a sentence in the U.S. for money laundering through a cryptocurrency exchange, was freed. However, Caleb Byers Wayne's lawyers stated that their client's release was far from a 'deal' and unconditional, as Russian officials were keen to set aside potentially 'provocative' issues before the start of negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine. Mr. Wayne's legal team added that he only had a very small amount of marijuana that was 'medically prescribed' and yet was arrested on charges of 'drug possession.' Possession of any amount of drugs in Russia can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Mr. Wayne's fiancée is a Russian citizen who traveled with him on a flight from Istanbul to Moscow. Mr. Wayne's family stated that their son is waiting to return to the U.S. at the U.S. Embassy in Russia after his release. The White House also announced last week the release of two prisoners from Belarus, one of whom was Andrei Kuzhenchich, a journalist for the Belarus section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which is funded by the U.S. Congress. Mr. Kuzhenchich had spent over three years in prison on charges that he, U.S. officials, and human rights organizations described as 'political.' A White House spokesperson emphasized last week that the release of these individuals demonstrates Trump's strong negotiating ability and his capacity to secure the freedom of imprisoned individuals.