A court in Russia has reduced the prison sentence of American soldier Gordon Black.

The sentence reduction came at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump was seeking rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, and there were signs of improving relations.

In Russia, a court reduced the prison sentence of a U.S. soldier who was convicted last year, parallel to the diplomatic relations established between Washington and Moscow through ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine. U.S. Sergeant Gordon Black had been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison by a court in the port city of Vladivostok in June 2024. According to Russia's RIA and TASS state news agencies, an appeals court reduced this sentence to three years and two months. The 34-year-old Black had flown to Vladivostok in April 2024 to see his girlfriend Alexandra Vashchuk, whom he met while in South Korea. Black was arrested on May 2 after Vashchuk accused him of theft and threatening to kill her. During the June trial last year, it was determined that the U.S. soldier was not guilty of making a death threat. However, he admitted to being partially guilty of accepting money, even if it was 'under duress.' The sentence reduction came at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump was seeking rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, with signs of improving relations. Last week, Kirill Dmitriev, a representative of Putin, met with U.S. officials in Washington. Dmitriev was reported to have been granted an exemption from sanctions for this visit, marking the first time in years that a senior Russian official traveled to the U.S. for such talks. One day before these discussions, Trump announced comprehensive tariffs on 185 countries and regions, but Russia was not on the list. Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House National Economic Council, stated in an interview with ABC last week that Russia was not targeted due to the discussions in Moscow for a peace agreement in Ukraine. Washington noted that Russia was not affected by the recent tariffs because the sanctions imposed due to the war in Ukraine had 'significantly hindered trade.' Belarus, Cuba, and North Korea, among the countries subject to the heaviest sanctions, were also not on the list. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, trade between the U.S. and Russia was 32.8 billion euros in 2021, while it was 3.2 billion euros in 2024. While the 'thaw' continued, in February, Russia released U.S. citizen Kalob Byers, who had been arrested on drug trafficking charges after customs officials at Moscow's Vnukovo airport claimed to have found 'mysterious marmalade' in his luggage. The 28-year-old was released days before U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to enhance diplomatic relations and end the war in Ukraine. During former President Joe Biden's administration, Russia imprisoned several U.S. citizens. Some of these individuals - such as corporate security executive Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and teacher Marc Fogel - were described by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained and were released in prisoner swaps. Others, including dual citizen Ksenia Karelina, retired teacher Stephen Hubbard, and musician Travis Leake, continue to remain detained in Russia.