A group of 16 Democratic senators has urged the Donald Trump administration to intensify efforts to secure the release of five US nationals detained in Russia, some for more than four years. The appeal followed the release of US Marine veteran Robert Gilman, who had been detained in Russia since 2022. The senators said five other Americans remained imprisoned and had not been formally designated by the administration as wrongfully detained.

"We are united in the belief that the safe return of US nationals detained abroad must remain a priority of the United States government," the senators wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.