Praising President Vladimir V. Putin as a humanitarian, the Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff thanked the Russian leader in St. Petersburg for releasing an American man held for over four years on what the State Department called fabricated charges. The release followed President Trump's direct appeal to Mr. Putin regarding Stephen James Hubbard, 74, a teacher detained in Russia.
Hubbard was released unilaterally by Russia rather than in a prisoner swap. The move comes as Mr. Putin has scored victories winning Mr. Trump over to Russia's side. In recent weeks, President Trump has announced the U.S. will buy Russian diesel fuel and suspend sanctions under the Lindsey Graham Act. Mr. Trump also called on Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Hubbard, who was tortured and sometimes starved in a Russian penal colony, is in fragile health. He will be flown to a State Department facility in Texas for evaluation and treatment. The decision to release Hubbard came after a tumultuous 12 days where Mr. Trump repeatedly sided with Russia and sidelined Ukraine, cutting off intelligence sharing and limiting weapons deliveries.
Hubbard was essentially abducted by Russian soldiers from eastern Ukraine shortly after the 2022 invasion. He was accused of being a Ukrainian mercenary, but his son says this was highly unlikely. Mr. Hubbard, a Michigan native, was living in Izium, near Kharkiv, after teaching English in Japan and living in Cyprus.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing