The release of US citizen Kalob Byers from custody reflects improving relations with Washington, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Getty Images / Mordolff The recent improvement in US-Russian relations was a factor in facilitating the rapid release of an American citizen detained in Moscow for attempting to bring cannabis into the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed when addressing the media on Monday. Kalob Wayne Byers, 28, was detained on February 7, after a sniffer dog alerted customs officials at Vnukovo Airport to his luggage. They subsequently discovered products containing cannabinoids, which are illegal under Russian law, leading to Byers’ detention. His family announced his release last week. When asked about the leniency shown in Byers’ case, Peskov remarked on Monday that such incidents should be viewed within the broader context of efforts to “restore the entirety of Russian-American relations.” Senior officials from the two countries are slated to meet in Saudi Arabia as early as Tuesday, potentially paving the way for further diplomatic progress. The discussions in Riyadh aim to build on the goodwill generated over the last few weeks, including a recent prisoner exchange, where Russia released American schoolteacher and former diplomat Marc Fogel in exchange for Russian crypto businessman and programmer Aleksandr Vinnik. Both Moscow and Washington have indicated that such gestures may facilitate negotiations on resolving longstanding differences, particularly concerning the Ukraine conflict.
According to US media reports, Byers hails from Paden City, West Virginia, and traveled to Russia via Türkiye to finalize his marriage to his Russian fiancée. His family stated that he had been carrying cannabis gummies and marmalade to manage his epilepsy, but Russia does not recognize medical marijuana exemptions. His mother, Tonya Shular, announced Byers’s release on Sunday, saying that he was already en route home. ”We received great support from our representatives here in West Virginia and in DC. We are grateful for all the help and support we received from our friends, the media, and our representatives. Most of all, we give God the credit,” she said. READ MORE: Zelensky ‘refuses to recognize’ Russia-US talks Shular emphasized that her son is not a drug addict, but rather “an upstanding citizen getting ready to marry the love of his life.” Byers reportedly works at Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale and lives in the village of Shadyside just across the Ohio River.
