ABC News reports that Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan detained by Russian forces since 2022, was released Wednesday as President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.
Release credited to Trump request; Witkoff thanks Putin
A Kremlin aide confirmed Witkoff’s arrival in St. Petersburg, according to ABC News, and Putin said Hubbard was taken to Pulkovo Airport. In televised remarks carried by outlets cited by ABC News, Witkoff thanked Putin, telling him: “Because of you, he’s going home to his family” and calling him “a humanitarian.”
Witkoff later posted on X that Hubbard was on his way back to the United States and shared photos of their meeting, ABC News reported. Witkoff said the release “was not part of an exchange” and credited Putin for acting on Trump’s request, according to the post cited by ABC News.
Backlash over “humanitarian” label; Vance defends Witkoff
ABC News reports several lawmakers criticized Witkoff’s “humanitarian” comment, including Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons and Mark Kelly. Cornyn called Putin a “stone cold killer,” while Tillis called the remark “embarrassing and outrageous,” according to ABC News.
Vice President JD Vance defended Witkoff, telling reporters he agreed with saying “something nice to a person who just released an American hostage,” ABC News reported.
Trump: praise only “for that particular purpose”; cites sanctions waiver
Asked whether he agreed with the “humanitarian” description, Trump said, “I guess you could say for that particular purpose,” adding, “I wouldn’t say anything one way or the other,” ABC News reported. Trump said he did not want to upset negotiations with Russia over Ukraine and noted the administration was “pretty happy with Russia that they have not gotten involved with Iran,” according to ABC News.
Trump later posted on social media that he had asked Putin in a phone call last week to release Hubbard and that the U.S. “was not required to give anything in return,” calling it “unprecedented” for Russia. He also defended waiving numerous sanctions on Russia, writing that placing them would have halted the release negotiations, ABC News reported.
Case background and family reaction
Hubbard was detained in eastern Ukraine in April 2022 and later convicted in Russia on mercenary charges and sentenced to nearly seven years, ABC News reported. His family and U.S. officials called the charges false, and the State Department designated him as wrongfully detained, according to ABC News.
Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, told ABC News she learned of his release from media reports, thanked Trump, and said Hubbard would be flown to San Antonio, where released Americans are usually brought for treatment.
Broader talks and Ukraine context
Witkoff and Putin discussed potential resumption of trilateral talks among Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, ABC News reported, citing Witkoff’s remarks. Witkoff also referenced future U.S.–Russia business and economic cooperation, according to ABC News.
ABC News, citing two U.S. officials and another source familiar with the matter, reported the Trump administration was closing in on a deal that could see multiple Americans released from detention in Russia, with talks centered on Hubbard and others the administration believes are held on dubious charges.
Before arriving in Russia, Witkoff met in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb for talks focused on cease-fire proposals, according to ABC News. ABC News also reported that Witkoff’s shuttle diplomacy comes amid intensified White House pressure on Zelenskyy to make concessions and noted Trump’s recent remarks that the U.S. has received “nothing” for supporting Ukraine and wants Zelenskyy to “make a deal.”
Zelenskyy posted that he was “thankful to the American side” for input on proposed future security guarantees and said he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about “sensitive issues such as Starlink, ballistic missile interceptors and intelligence,” according to ABC News. On Wednesday, he wrote that much depended on whether the U.S. would “hear something new from Russia today — about peace, not about continuing the war,” ABC News reported.
