Russia says it freed American Stephen Hubbard, 74, as Trump envoy meets with Putin
The release comes as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff presses Moscow on Ukraine peace talks and the White House seeks progress on detainee cases.
- On Tuesday, Russia released Stephen Hubbard following a visit to Petersburg by Steve Witkoff. The State Department previously designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained.
- Russian prosecutors alleged that Hubbard fought for Ukraine after moving to Izyum in 2014. His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, maintained the accusation was a lie.
- President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that he raised the case with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin agreed to the release during discussions with Witkoff in Petersburg.
- Hubbard, originally from Michigan, spent decades abroad as an English teacher before being captured by Russian forces. He was sentenced to almost seven years in a penal colony in 2024.
- Hubbard is the latest American freed from Russian detention following Robert Gilman's August release. Gilman was freed for humanitarian reasons amid severe health concerns.
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351 Articles
Trump asks Putin to free jailed US citizen, Russia releases him ahead of envoy visit
Russia freed detained American teacher Stephen Hubbard after Donald Trump appealed directly to Vladimir Putin. The humanitarian release coincided with Steve Witkoff's push to revive talks on ending the Ukraine war.
Father Joseph, the son of US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was released in Russia, thanked Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump for their humanism and work. The corresponding letter from a cleric of the Cypriot Orthodox Church was distributed by the EPAM Law Office.
Stephen Hubbard had been detained since 2022 and the moment of liberation may not have been the work of chance, since Trump has been inclined to accommodate more and more Russian demands in the Ukraine war. It is a way of Putin showing good faith
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