Russia frees US teacher Stephen Hubbard after Trump plea

Russia has released American citizen Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, after more than four years in custody, according to state media and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff ^[1]. Hubbard was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in a penal colony after being captured in eastern Ukraine in April 2022 while allegedly serving in a Ukrainian defense unit ^[2]. Prosecutors claimed he signed a contract with Ukraine’s military following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The release came during high-level talks between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where Putin confirmed Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport ^[1]. U.S. officials, including the Biden administration, had previously designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained ^[2].

President Donald Trump claimed he personally requested Hubbard’s release in a phone call with Putin, stating that Moscow asked for nothing in return and that the move was made 'out of respect' for him ^[3]. Trump posted on Truth Social that Hubbard had been held under the Biden administration and was freed at his request.

Witkoff, who has been leading U.S. efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, praised Putin as a 'humanitarian' in the context of the release ^[4]. The meeting in St. Petersburg follows earlier talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, where the U.S. presented new proposals for ending the war ^[6].

The timing of the release has drawn scrutiny, as Trump has recently signed a diesel fuel deal with Russia, waived new sanctions, and faced criticism for allegedly weakening support for Ukraine ^[6]. Zelenskyy said intelligence cooperation with the U.S. has been restored, though concerns remain over delayed warnings and restrictions on Starshield satellite access.

Russian officials have not confirmed any prisoner swap, and no further details on Hubbard’s condition or immediate plans have been released. The U.S. government has not yet issued an official statement confirming the release, though multiple outlets report it ^[7].

What happens next remains unclear as the Trump administration pushes for direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, despite Russia’s insistence that any meeting with Zelenskyy can only occur after a final deal is signed. The story was first reported by BBC News and New York Post.