Seventy-four-year-old American Stephen Hubbard has been freed from a Russian prison and is returning home, following negotiations secured by the United States administration, according to statements from Washington.
“Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. Trump added that the U.S. government was not required to provide any concessions in exchange for the release of the former teacher from Michigan.
Hubbard had been living in Ukraine since prior to the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, according to his family. He was subsequently captured, tried in a closed-door proceeding, and convicted by Russian authorities, who alleged he had signed a contract with the Ukrainian military and fought alongside its forces. In 2024, a Russian court sentenced him to seven years in prison. The U.S. government formally designated Hubbard as a wrongfully detained American.
The diplomatic breakthrough occurred during a visit to Russia by high-ranking U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who traveled to the country for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. During their meeting, Witkoff conveyed national gratitude to Putin, describing the Russian leader as a “humanitarian” for permitting Hubbard to walk free. Witkoff met briefly with Hubbard in St. Petersburg following his release, telling him, “from today is a new life for you.”
The release takes place amid shifts in diplomatic relations involving the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. Washington’s relationship with Kyiv has experienced strain while the current U.S. administration has pursued various policies viewed by Ukrainian officials as advantageous to Moscow.
Among those recent actions was Trump’s decision to waive sanctions on Russia that had been established by a legislative bill overwhelmingly passed by the U.S. Congress to support Ukraine. Named after the late South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation was designed to restrict the flow of financial resources fueling the Russian war effort.
That policy reversal followed a separate announcement by Trump regarding an agreement to import Russian diesel fuel, an initiative intended to lower domestic gasoline prices ahead of upcoming U.S. midterm elections.
