Russia Frees American Stephen Hubbard, Trump Claims Putin Acted Out of Respect

Russia has released Stephen Hubbard, an American citizen who had been held for more than four years, according to former President Donald Trump. Trump claimed on the social media platform Truth Social that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the release out of "respect" for him and that no concessions were made by the United States.

Trump stated that Hubbard was "taken four years ago by Russia during the Biden Administration" and was "just released from prison." He added that the release was made "at the request of President Donald J. Trump, made directly to President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation last week."

The former president asserted that the U.S. "was not required to give anything in return" and that a prisoner swap was unnecessary. He also criticized the current administration's efforts with the Kremlin.

Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, was reportedly apprehended by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine in April 2022. He was subsequently sentenced to nearly seven years in prison on charges of being a mercenary, accusations that his family and U.S. officials have maintained are false.

Hubbard was the last American whom the State Department had designated as wrongfully detained in Russia. His release coincided with a meeting between Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin in St. Petersburg.

This development occurs amid a period of increased engagement between Trump and Moscow. Earlier in the month, Trump reportedly facilitated a deal that eased sanctions, enabling Russia to sell diesel fuel on global markets and potentially influence fuel prices. Following this, Trump suggested that Ukraine should seek a new leader capable of negotiating a deal, attributing high diesel prices to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.