Vladimir Putin Announces Release of American Stephen Hubbard
Stephen Hubbard Released by Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been imprisoned in Russia after authorities accused him of fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, according to reporting by Telex. The announcement concerning the 74-year-old Stephen Hubbard, who had been imprisoned for two years, was reported on Wednesday morning by Russian state media citing the BBC. The elderly American teacher—who previously served in the United States military—had been living in Ukraine for a longer period when the total Russian-Ukrainian war broke out.
Putin and Witkoff Finalize Hubbard Release in St. Petersburg
The release was finalized during a meeting in St. Petersburg between Vladimir Putin and Steven Witkoff, the special envoy of the U.S. president. Telex reported that Witkoff stated during the broadcast meeting that he was grateful on behalf of Donald Trump for the release of Hubbard. Reports from 444 noted that Hubbard was already at Pulkovo Airport with the necessary permissions to return home. According to 444, Witkoff arrived in the Russian metropolis on Wednesday morning from Oslo to present a new peace proposal coordinated with the Ukrainians and Western Europeans to the Russian president’s table, with preliminary reports indicating that Hubbard’s release could be part of the emerging negotiations.
Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen who was jailed in Russia for more than four years after being accused of fighting for Ukraine, has been released from custody, Russian state news agencies reported Wednesday, citing President Vladimir Putin as saying the American was at an airport…
Hubbard Served Prison Sentence After Contracting with Ukrainian Military
While Telex noted he was 72 when a Moscow court sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison, 444 reported his age as 76 and his sentence as six years. Both outlets noted that Hubbard had lived in Ukraine, with one specifying he was a teacher and a former member of the United States military. Following the 2022 Russian invasion, Hubbard contracted with the Ukrainian military for one thousand dollars a month, according to Telex. Telex added that Hubbard moved to Ukraine in 2014, participated in training according to Russian authorities, and was captured by Russians in April 2022 after serving as a mercenary. 444 reported that he joined the Ukrainian territorial defense forces and fell into captivity in the autumn of 2022, after which authorities treated him as a mercenary and initiated criminal proceedings.
Broader Diplomatic Discussions and Unresolved Peace Proposals
Donald Trump recently discussed Hubbard’s release in a telephone call with Vladimir Putin, pursuing a multi-year U.S. effort to secure the man’s freedom under the official position that he was wrongfully detained, according to Telex. Concurrently, reports indicated that Witkoff’s diplomatic mission involved proposing a tripartite summit between Putin, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—a format the Russian government had previously rejected unless restricted strictly to signing pre-negotiated agreements. 444 noted that Witkoff’s peace proposal contained new elements.
