‘You are a humanitarian,’ US envoy tells Putin after deal to secure teacher’s release
US President Donald Trump announced the release of American teacher Stephen Hubbard from Russian custody, claiming he negotiated the deal directly with Vladimir Putin. Hubbard had been imprisoned since 2022 on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
Why it matters
The release marks a notable shift in US-Russia diplomatic relations and highlights the influence of the incoming Trump administration on international prisoner exchanges.
— 10:58am , first published 4:10am
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Share A A A Kansas City: The US has secured the release of an American teacher who was imprisoned in Russia for four years, in a deal that President Donald Trump said he made directly with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and did not require anything in return.
Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan, was detained in 2022 after the Ukrainian town of Izyum, where he lived with his Ukrainian partner, was captured by Russian forces during Putin’s full-scale invasion.
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