Russia frees 74-year-old American after visit from Trump envoy
Russia has released 74-year-old American teacher Stephen Hubbard following a direct plea from President Donald Trump. Hubbard, who was imprisoned on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, was released during a meeting between a US envoy and Vladimir Putin.
Why it matters
The release underscores the complex diplomatic relationship between the Trump administration and Russia, as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions regarding the war in Ukraine.
Russia has freed Stephen Hubbard, an American who had been imprisoned in Russia for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine following a direct plea from US President Donald Trump. Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher, was captured in occupied eastern Ukraine during Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and accused of fighting for Kyiv in what his family and the State Department said were fabricated charges. Hubbard will go to Washington, DC, to be reunited with his family before heading to a military facility in Texas, where he will take part in the US government program meant to help former detainees re-acclimate. His release was announced as US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for talks aimed at advancing peace efforts in Ukraine.
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