Putin’s Russia

 Russia releases American prisoner during Witkoff’s visit

Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American, is being released from a Russian prison after four years, according to several media outlets. The news comes as Donald Trump’s peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in Russia for talks regarding Ukraine with Vladimir Putin.

Hubbard, a retired teacher from the state of Michigan, was arrested in Ukraine in April 2022. A Russian court convicted him of aiding the Ukrainian military, but the U.S. maintains that his imprisonment was arbitrary.

The American was taken to the airport in St. Petersburg, where Witkoff had landed earlier on Wednesday. The peace envoy has thanked Putin for Hubbard’s release, CNN reports.

Trump: Hubbard released out of respect for President Trump

The U.S. did not offer anything in exchange for Russia’s release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social.

Hubbard was reportedly released “out of respect for President Trump.” In a separate post, however, the American president noted that the release would never have happened had he not halted planned sanctions against Russia over the weekend. Trump’s account claims that many who criticized that decision at the time have since reached out to apologize.

“They didn’t know that the President was negotiating the release of Stephen Hubbard.”

Hubbard was arrested in Ukraine four years ago and accused by Russia of being a mercenary.