Vladimir Putin ordered the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American former teacher, after Donald Trump requested his freedom. Hubbard had spent more than four years in Russian custody on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
The order came as Putin met Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, in St Petersburg on Wednesday for talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The Guardian reports that Witkoff praised Putin as a "humanitarian," despite Putin being wanted by the International Criminal Court as a war criminal.
The release signals intensifying diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Washington under the Trump administration. Trump had previously made Hubbard's case a priority in communications with the Russian leader.
The timing of the prisoner release, coupled with direct high-level talks between Trump's representative and Putin, suggests a shift toward negotiation on the Ukraine conflict. The meeting occurred as Trump pursues what his team frames as diplomatic resolution to the war.
Hubbard's conviction in October 2024 centered on allegations that he fought alongside Ukrainian forces. His four-plus years of imprisonment made him one of several Americans detained in Russian facilities during the conflict.