Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher detained in Russia since April 2022, was released on Wednesday and brought to Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg to return to the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release during a meeting with American envoy Steve Witkoff, citing both a request from U.S. Donald Trump and Hubbard’s precarious health.
An Envoy’s Thanks in St. Petersburg
During the televised meeting in St. Petersburg, Steve Witkoff thanked Vladimir Putin on behalf of Donald Trump and the entire American nation, telling the Russian leader that both he and Trump acted as humanists. A video transmitted to Reuters showed Steve Witkoff and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev meeting Hubbard in a secret location, where Hubbard wore a dark fleece, appeared clean-shaven, and shook Witkoff’s hand while expressing gratitude for their efforts. Hubbard’s son, Joseph Coleman, told Reuters in a voice message that he spoke briefly with his father by phone before the aircraft departed Russia, noting that his father sounded happy and light-footed.
Disputed Mercenary Charges and Imprisonment
Stephen Hubbard, originally from Michigan, had lived in the Ukrainian city of Izyum since 2014 with his Ukrainian partner before being captured there on April 2, 2022, during the Russian occupation. In October 2024, following a closed-door trial in Russia, he was convicted of mercenary activities and sentenced to six years and ten months in prison after Russian prosecutors claimed he joined a Ukrainian territorial defense unit, received training and weapons, and was promised $1,000 a month. Russian state media reported that Hubbard pleaded guilty, but his U.S. attorney Martin De Luca and his sister Patricia Hubbard Fox consistently maintained that the accusations were false, pointing out his advanced age and arguing that he was entirely unsuited for military service.
Contrasting Accounts of Concessions and Sanctions
Donald Trump asserted on Truth Social that the United States gave nothing in return for Hubbard’s release, describing it as an unprecedented move by Russia and criticizing the previous administration under Joe Biden for failing to secure his freedom. However, a second message from Donald Trump on Truth Social described the development as a major agreement for the United States, noting that he had recently decided to exempt Russia from major congressional sanctions and lift restrictions to allow U.S. imports of large quantities of Russian diesel. Russian officials stated Wednesday that they expect the first diesel export contracts to be signed within the coming days as U.S. fuel prices remain a critical issue ahead of the November 3 legislative elections.
Remaining Diplomatic Pressures Ahead of November Elections
Wednesday’s release leaves Hubbard as the only American prisoner held by Russia to have been designated by Washington as “wrongfully detained.” The Trump administration obtained last year the release of another American incarcerated in Russia, the teacher Marc Fogel, who was serving a 14-year prison sentence for drug trafficking. The diplomatic opening coincides with renewed talks between Washington and Moscow regarding the war in Ukraine, though persistent disagreements remain over occupied territories and security guarantees for Kyiv. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s recent diplomatic moves and exemptions on Russian energy face scrutiny as the domestic political landscape builds toward the November 3 legislative elections.
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