Russia frees American Stephen Hubbard
Russia Frees American Teacher Stephen Hubbard After Trump's Appeal
Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, was released from Russian custody after President Trump directly asked Vladimir Putin for his freedom.
Hubbard, who had been living in Ukraine and was detained in 2022, was freed without any prisoner swap. His release occurred during a meeting between a U.S. envoy and Putin, signaling a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations.
The release of Stephen Hubbard is seen as a sign of warming ties between Russia and the United States, occurring as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Putin to discuss the war in Ukraine. While Trump hailed the release as a humanitarian act and a diplomatic win, some Republican lawmakers criticized the praise for Putin.