‘Welcome home’: Trump secures release of American teacher Stephen Hubbard from Russian prison

A US citizen, Stephen Hubbard who was jailed in Russia for more than four years after being accused of acting as a mercenary was released from custody as confirmed by US envoy Steve Witkoff Wednesday during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.

Trump said in social media posts that Putin agreed to release Hubbard at his request with no “ swap” necessary.

“This major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden administration which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin..”

However, video of the meeting showed Witkoff thanking Putin for freeing the American whom the US government had determined to be unlawfully held and praising the Russian autocrat, who ordered the full-blown invasion of Ukraine almost five years ago.

The 74-year-old Hubbard was the last American in Russia whom the State Department had formally declared wrongfully detained. The American’s release came five days after Trump announced that his administration would put the enforcement of certain legal provisions on hold temporarily, a decision that was praised by Putin but drew fierce condemnation from members of Congress, including some Republicans.

Nonetheless, the move was described by Russian media as a goodwill gesture, underscoring the envoy’s diplomacy role amid ongoing US-Russia talks on Ukraine, and allowing Hubbard to end his ordeal and reunite with his loved ones soon.