Trump scores Russia breakthrough as Stephen Hubbard jailed over Ukraine war freed without swap

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, October 21, that American citizen Stephen Hubbard has been released from a Russian prison after more than four years in detention over accusations linked to the Ukraine war.

Trump credited a direct conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin for securing Hubbard's freedom, presenting the development as a diplomatic breakthrough for Washington.

The announcement also prompted Trump to defend his approach to negotiations with Moscow amid calls for tougher sanctions against Russia.

Trump touts release without swap

Trump revealed that Hubbard's release through Truth Social, saying it came after he personally raised the American's case with Putin during a phone call the previous week.

According to Trump, the United States did not have to free another detainee or make any concessions to secure Hubbard's release.

"Stephen Hubbard, taken four years ago by Russia during the Biden Administration, was just released from prison, at the request of President Donald J Trump, made directly to President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation last week," the president wrote.

Trump presented the development as a rare outcome in dealings with Moscow, claiming the release was secured without the kind of exchange often associated with negotiations over detained Americans.

"The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return, an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no 'swap' necessary for this release," he added.

The announcement also gave Trump an opportunity to take a swipe at his predecessor.

He criticized former President Joe Biden's administration over Hubbard's continued detention, arguing that the American should have been brought home sooner and questioning the previous administration's handling of negotiations with Russia.

Trump then addressed those who had called for immediate sanctions against Moscow.

He claimed some of his critics had since contacted him to apologize, saying they had not known that discussions to secure Hubbard's release were already in progress.

The president argued that imposing new sanctions while those discussions were underway could have undermined the negotiations and complicated efforts to bring Hubbard home.

"Numerous people, who requested that sanctions be immediately imposed on Russia, have called to apologize to President Trump in that they didn't know that he was negotiating the release of Stephen Hubbard," Trump wrote in another Truth Social post.

Steve Witkoff meets Vladimir Putin and Stephen Hubbard

The timing of Hubbard's release drew attention as Special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St Petersburg on Wednesday to hold talks with Putin.

During their meeting, the Russian president announced that the 74-year-old American would be freed.

The Kremlin later attributed the decision to a request from Trump, adding that Hubbard's poor health had been taken into consideration.

Russian officials characterized the move as a humanitarian gesture.

Witkoff thanked Putin for the decision, pointing to the opportunity it offered Hubbard to return to his family.

The US envoy subsequently met the newly released American, with video footage capturing the two shaking hands as Hubbard expressed his gratitude.

Russian presidential financial adviser Kirill Dmitriev was also present.

After the meeting, Hubbard was taken to Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg.

Witkoff was involved in coordinating arrangements for the American's journey back to the United States, although he had not yet completed the trip at the time of the announcement.

A retired schoolteacher from Michigan, Hubbard had spent more than four years in Russian custody after being detained in April 2022.

Russian authorities accused him of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine, claiming he had joined a territorial defense unit in Izyum, an eastern Ukrainian city.

The case ended in a conviction in October 2024, when a Russian court sentenced Hubbard to six years and 10 months in prison following a closed trial.

His release marks a significant turn in a case that had left the elderly American facing years behind bars in Russia.