President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that American citizen Stephen Hubbard has been freed from Russian detention and is returning to the United States.
Trump said he raised the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call the previous week. "Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family," Trump posted on social media. The president clarified that Hubbard's release was not tied to any larger prisoner swap.
Hubbard's legal representative, Martin De Luca, commended the Trump administration for prioritising the case. "We hope Stephen's release will build further momentum toward bringing every American home and broader diplomatic progress," De Luca said in a statement. Hubbard's relatives expressed relief in their own statement, saying they were "overjoyed and deeply grateful that Stephen is free."
During a meeting in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told Putin he viewed the decision as humanitarian. "You are a humanitarian sir, I salute that and I commend you and I thank you again," Witkoff said. Putin confirmed Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport in the city.
The release reflects broader jockeying between Russia and Ukraine for influence with the Trump administration as it pursues an end to the war. Trump has recently attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and suggested Moscow is more inclined toward negotiation. Days before Hubbard's release, Trump waived sanctions against Russia and signed a diesel agreement with Moscow, moves he linked to the detention case on Wednesday. "If sanctions would have been placed, certainly those negotiations would have come to a complete and total halt," Trump said.
Hubbard, 74, spent decades teaching English in Japan, Cyprus and other countries. He had made Ukraine his home since 2014, originally hailing from Big Rapids, Michigan.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.