ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Web Desk) – Russia has released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired US schoolteacher imprisoned since 2022, following a direct request from US President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Hubbard was serving a six-year-and-ten-month prison sentence after being convicted of mercenary activity in a closed-door trial. Russian prosecutors accused him of joining a Ukrainian territorial defence unit, but his lawyer and family disputed the allegations.
The release was announced during a meeting in St Petersburg between Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump confirmed that he had raised Hubbard’s case during a recent telephone conversation with the Russian president, who agreed to release him.
Witkoff thanked Putin for the decision and described him as a “humanitarian,” triggering criticism from lawmakers in Washington over Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine. Trump said the United States had made no concessions in exchange for Hubbard’s freedom.
The development also coincided with renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed support for proposed three-way negotiations involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine, while officials discussed possible future security arrangements.
However, continued Russian attacks on Kyiv highlighted the difficulties confronting peace efforts. Although Hubbard’s release offered a positive diplomatic signal, major disagreements over the conflict remain unresolved.
