Russia Frees US Citizen Stephen Hubbard After Diplomatic Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen who had been held in Russian custody since 2022, has been released and was observed at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport. This development follows discussions between US President Donald Trump and Mr. Putin, during which Mr. Trump had raised Mr. Hubbard's detention and suggested a resolution might be imminent. Mr. Putin made the announcement during a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff at a palace in St. Petersburg. The meeting's agenda also included discussions on potential resolutions to the war in Ukraine, coinciding with US efforts to de-escalate Europe's most significant conflict since World War II. Russian state television reported that Mr. Putin also proposed a meeting with President Trump in China, potentially as part of trilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at an upcoming Apec summit. Additionally, Mr. Putin expressed willingness to discuss the restoration of economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington.

The release of the retired US schoolteacher from Michigan was presented as a goodwill gesture at the start of the talks in St. Petersburg, marking the ninth in-person meeting between Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Putin. Mr. Hubbard had been serving a nearly seven-year sentence in Russia after being convicted of mercenary activity in a closed-door trial. He was initially arrested in April 2022 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum, where Russian prosecutors accused him of manning a Ukrainian military checkpoint. Prosecutors alleged that Mr. Hubbard had joined a Ukrainian territorial defense unit, received training and military supplies, and was promised a monthly salary. Russian state media indicated that he had pleaded guilty to the charges. However, his US-based lawyer, Martin De Luca, stated that Mr. Hubbard had asserted his innocence and denied involvement in any combat or military unit. At the time of his release, Mr. Hubbard was the sole US prisoner in Russia classified by Washington as "wrongfully detained." Records cited by The New York Times indicate Mr. Hubbard served in the US Air Force and National Guard. His sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, shared that he held a master's degree in English, lived in Japan for 25 years teaching English, and later resided in Cyprus before moving to Izyum in 2014 with a Ukrainian partner.