by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON/ST. PETERSBURG/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia has released a 74-year-old American teacher imprisoned for more than four years on disputed charges of fighting for Ukraine, after President Donald J. Trump personally appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his freedom, U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday.
Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher from Michigan, had been jailed on disputed charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. His release was announced by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff during talks with Putin in St. Petersburg aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The White House said Hubbard’s release required no prisoner exchange or concessions from the United States, unlike several previous cases involving Americans detained in Russia.
Witkoff thanked Putin during their meeting, telling the Russian leader, “Because of you, he’s going home to his family.”
Trump welcomed the development, saying Hubbard was returning home after years in Russian captivity.
DISPUTED CONVICTION
Hubbard had been imprisoned since April 2022, when Russian forces captured him in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum, shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
Russian prosecutors accused him of joining Ukraine’s military and fighting against Russian forces. He was convicted of mercenary activity following a closed-door trial in 2024 and sentenced to six years and ten months in prison.
However, Hubbard’s family and American lawyer disputed the allegations, maintaining that he never participated in combat or belonged to a military unit.
The Biden administration formally designated him as wrongfully detained, making his release a priority for American diplomats.
His family had also raised serious concerns about his treatment and deteriorating health while imprisoned.
FAMILY ALLEGES ABUSE
In an open letter to Trump published in August by Hostage Aid Worldwide, Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, alleged that her brother had suffered “constant beatings, torture and starvation” in Russian custody.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
Hubbard is the second American released from Russian custody in roughly two months, following the August release of former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who had been imprisoned on disputed charges of assaulting a police officer.
Around two dozen Americans remain imprisoned in Russia for various reasons, according to the Foley Foundation, an organization advocating for Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.
Hubbard’s release comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts by Washington to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
RUSSIAN ENERGY DEALS
The breakthrough followed controversial decisions by the Trump administration to ease economic pressure on Moscow, including an agreement allowing Russian diesel exports to the United States and a waiver of new sanctions targeting Russia.
The measures have drawn criticism from war-torn Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that allowing Russia to sell petroleum products would provide Moscow with additional revenue to finance its military campaign.
“Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged,” Zelenskyy said, accusing Washington of making concessions that could strengthen Russia’s position.
American officials have defended the diesel agreement as part of efforts to bring Moscow back to the negotiating table, while Trump has also cited the need to lower energy prices for American consumers.
The developments have deepened concerns in Kyiv that Washington may be moving closer to Moscow’s position despite continuing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
UKRAINE PEACE TALKS
However, during Wednesday’s meeting in St. Petersburg, Witkoff presented Putin with new proposals aimed at reviving peace negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
The talks followed Witkoff’s meeting Tuesday with Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo, where discussions focused on security guarantees and possible steps toward ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Yet, major disagreements remain over Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, future security arrangements and Moscow’s demands for concessions from Kyiv.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned against any peace deal that would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty or reward Russia’s invasion.
Yet for Hubbard and his family, Wednesday’s developments brought an end to more than four years of imprisonment, though broader diplomatic efforts to end the war remained uncertain.
His release marks a rare humanitarian breakthrough in relations between Washington and Moscow, while Russian and Ukrainian forces fight and a broader peace accord remained elusive.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
