Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan who had been held in Russian detention for over two years, was released on Wednesday. The release occurred as Steve Witkoff, a special envoy appointed by President Donald Trump, arrived in St. Petersburg to conduct high-level meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. We’ve got nothing back other than high diesel,” Trump said. “We have given, probably, possibly, more money to Ukraine than almost anybody over the years, hundreds of billions of dollars.
According to a Kremlin readout, Witkoff explicitly thanked Putin for the release, characterizing the Russian leader as a “humanitarian” and stating that Hubbard would soon be reunited with his family. Putin confirmed that Hubbard, who was originally taken into custody in eastern Ukraine in April 2022, had been transported to Pulkovo Airport in preparation for his return. During their meeting, Witkoff and Putin discussed the latest U.S.-led efforts to end Moscow’s ongoing invasion, which the Kremlin launched in February 2022. Look, we have given tremendous amounts to Ukraine.
Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, expressed her gratitude to President Trump for securing her brother’s release, describing the news as a moment of peace. While she had not spoken directly with her brother or U.S. government officials, she indicated that she expected him to be flown to a military installation in San Antonio for medical evaluation. Thank you President Trump for caring for everyday Americans,” she said, adding that the development was “awesome” and that the “Lord has given me peace. ‘ Joe Simonetti, Shannon K.
President Trump confirmed the release on social media, noting that he had requested Hubbard’s freedom during a phone call with Putin last week.
Trump emphasized that the release was achieved without any prisoner exchange, describing this as an unprecedented development. The U.S. “was not required to give anything in return — an unprecedented situation for Russia,” Trump added. “There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release.
He further defended his recent decision to waive certain sanctions against Russia, arguing that maintaining those punitive measures would have jeopardized the negotiations.
The diplomatic push led by Witkoff coincides with efforts to secure the release of other Americans held in Russia on charges that the U.S. government deems illegitimate. Hubbard had been living as a civilian in eastern Ukraine since 2014 when he was apprehended by Russian authorities, who subsequently sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison on mercenary-related charges that his family and U.S. officials maintain were fabricated. According to hubbard’s family and U.S. officials, The charges were false and the State Department designated him as wrongfully detained.
During their meeting in St. Petersburg, Witkoff and Putin explored possibilities for renewed trilateral dialogue involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Witkoff also emphasized potential future opportunities for bilateral business and economic cooperation. One thing that I hope to accomplish today is to have some good conversation between us about resumption potentially of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States,” Witkoff said, per the Kremlin readout.
Regional Diplomatic Updates
- Iran Nuclear Stance: Marco Rubio noted that nuclear issues remain central to the current U.S. strategic approach toward Iran.
- Detainee Negotiations: Sources confirmed that the administration is nearing additional agreements with Moscow to secure the release of other imprisoned U.S. citizens.
- Regional Defense: The administration continues to review various military options regarding Iran, including significant strategic capabilities.
- Economic Ties: Envoy Witkoff expressed optimism regarding future U.S.-Russian commercial partnerships.
Witkoff’s mission to Russia followed his participation in talks in Oslo, Norway, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. These discussions primarily centered on proposed ceasefire frameworks for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Trump waived a raft of sanctions on Moscow and again blamed Kyiv for the lack of progress in U.S.-sponsored peace talks, even suggesting that Zelenskyy should be replaced as Ukrainian president. According to the Ukrainian president also, He spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone to discuss “sensitive issues such as Starlink, ballistic missile interceptors and intelligence.
This shuttle diplomacy takes place amid increasing pressure from the White House on Kyiv to pursue peace negotiations.
President Trump has recently voiced frustration regarding the scale of U.S. financial support for Ukraine, telling reporters that the American public expects a resolution to the conflict. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the U.S. had received “nothing” for its support of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy has stated he remains engaged in diplomatic efforts in Oslo, emphasizing that he is waiting to see if the U.S. engagement with Russia results in substantive movement toward peace rather than an escalation of the war. According to on Wednesday, Zelenskyy, He continued to hold meetings in Oslo. “A lot depends on whether the American side manages to hear something new from Russia today — about peace, not about continuing the war,” he wrote. Kingston, Fritz Farrow, Nicholas Kerr, Emily Chang, Anna Sergeeva and Justin Gomez contributed to this report.
