Trump Secures Release of American Held in Russia

Russia released American citizen Stephen Hubbard on Wednesday after more than four years in detention on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, with the release secured during a visit to Russia by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.

President Donald Trump announced the development in a Truth Social post, saying he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to free Hubbard during a phone call the previous week. Trump said the release did not require the United States to surrender another prisoner in exchange.

“Welcome home, Stephen, it’s great to have you back,” Trump wrote.

Hubbard, a 74-year-old former teacher from Michigan, was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison following a closed trial. Russian prosecutors alleged that he signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and fought alongside Ukrainian forces until his capture two months later.

The Biden administration had designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained. His release came as Witkoff visited St. Petersburg for talks with Putin about the war in Ukraine and the Trump administration’s efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Witkoff thanked Putin for approving the release, telling the Russian leader, “Because of you, he’s going home to his family.”

“You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir,” Witkoff added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the United States had raised Hubbard’s release for some time and that Putin ultimately approved it on humanitarian grounds. Peskov also said contacts between American and Russian intelligence services continued regularly.

The release comes at a sensitive point in U.S.-Russian relations, as the Trump administration attempts to broker a settlement to the war while tensions persist between Washington and Kyiv.

Trump recently announced a deal to import Russian diesel fuel as part of an effort to curb rising gasoline prices ahead of the November midterm elections. His administration has also waived sanctions on Russia imposed under legislation backed by Congress to target financial resources supporting Moscow’s war effort.

Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway on Tuesday before traveling to Russia. His discussions with Russian officials were expected to include proposals from Ukrainian, European, and American counterparts as the administration continues seeking a negotiated settlement.

Hubbard is the second American released from Russian custody in roughly two months. In August, Russia freed Marine veteran Robert Gilman, who had been seriously ill and was imprisoned on disputed charges involving an assault on a police officer.

Other Americans remain jailed in Russia, including some with serious medical conditions. Hubbard was the only one among them designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained, although advocacy groups argue that other prisoners deserve similar recognition.

Global Reach, an organization that works to secure the release of Americans detained abroad and represents five Americans held in Russia, welcomed Hubbard’s return while calling for further efforts to bring the remaining detainees home.

“We are grateful to the Trump Administration for reuniting Stephen Hubbard with his family, but at the same time, we know that there are five other families of Americans held in Russia who are going to have a hard time understanding why their loved one was not included in the deal,” said Eric Lebson, the group’s chief strategy officer.

Hubbard had been imprisoned since 2022 on charges that hostage advocacy group Hostage Aid Worldwide described as bogus. In August, the organization published an open letter it said was written by Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, praising Trump while alleging that her brother had endured “constant beatings, torture and starvation” in Russian custody.

His release brings relief to his family while leaving questions about the fate of other Americans still detained in Russia as diplomatic efforts to end the war continue.