MOSCOW and KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin said he ordered the Stephen Hubbard release from a Russian prison following a request from President Trump, as talks opened in Saint Petersburg with White House envoy Steve Witkoff on U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Hubbard, 74, a former Michigan schoolteacher, was detained by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine in 2022 and, after a closed trial in 2024, sentenced to nearly seven years on allegations he served as a mercenary with Ukrainian forces. U.S. officials had formally designated him wrongfully detained under the Biden administration.
The announcement coincided with Witkoff’s meeting with Putin at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg, where discussions centered on a new U.S. peace initiative for Ukraine. In opening remarks, Witkoff thanked Putin for arranging Hubbard’s release. Putin responded that the American was already at Pulkovo Airport awaiting departure from Russia, according to the exchange at the meeting.
Russian state media later aired footage of Hubbard smiling and shaking hands with Witkoff, with Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev present. Trump, who had signaled earlier in the week that a deal was imminent, welcomed the news on social media, writing that the United States gave “nothing in return.” He added there was no swap involved and criticized the Biden administration’s earlier negotiations with Moscow.
Hubbard’s son, Father Joseph Coleman, issued a statement thanking both Trump and Putin for securing his father’s freedom, noting the family had been gravely concerned for his safety and health since his 2022 detention.
Stephen Hubbard release sparks backlash over envoy’s remarks
Witkoff’s description of Putin as a humanitarian drew sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials, who hold the Russian leader responsible for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. The United Nations has verified more than 17,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the foreign affairs committee in Ukraine’s parliament, condemned Witkoff’s comment as a disgrace to U.S. diplomacy and leadership. He said Putin is committing genocide against Ukrainians and called for Witkoff’s removal from his role.
Hubbard’s release came as Trump eased some restrictions on Moscow, including an agreement to purchase Russian diesel fuel under sanctions. The move angered Kyiv and European allies, who argue such purchases bolster the Kremlin’s ability to finance the war. In televised remarks to Witkoff, Putin said the first tankers carrying 60,000 tons of diesel would depart for the United States in the next two or three days.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin had also agreed to resume three-way peace talks with the United States and Ukraine beginning in mid-November.
Before arriving in Saint Petersburg, Witkoff met in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Zelenskyy had requested the meeting amid growing tensions over Washington’s outreach to Moscow.
Trump has criticized Zelenskyy for responding to Russia’s frequent and deadly missile strikes with long-range drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. Ukrainian officials say the drone campaign is intended to degrade Russia’s war-fighting capacity. Trump has argued the strikes are contributing to higher U.S. gasoline prices ahead of midterm elections.
Economists, however, say Trump’s war in Iran and Tehran’s subsequent blockage of the Strait of Hormuz have been the primary drivers of elevated global oil prices.
For more on legal clashes involving the current administration, see Judge blocks White House media ban with preliminary injunction.