Updated October 21, 2026 at 1:00 PM EDT
MOSCOW and KYIV — A significant development in U.S.-Russia relations has unfolded as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American previously held in a Russian prison. This move follows a direct appeal from President Trump.
The release coincides with discussions between Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Saint Petersburg, centered on American efforts to broker peace in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Hubbard, a 74-year-old former educator from Michigan, was captured by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine in 2022. Following a secretive trial in 2024, he was sentenced for allegedly acting as a mercenary with the Ukrainian military. The United States had classified his detention as wrongful under the Biden administration.
During Witkoff’s meeting with Putin at Saint Petersburg’s Constantine Palace, Hubbard’s situation was a focal point. Witkoff expressed gratitude for the release, which Putin confirmed, revealing Hubbard was at Pulkovo airport, preparing to leave Russia.
“You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian,” Witkoff stated. “You are a humanitarian also, sir.”
Later, Russian media broadcasted images of Hubbard smiling and shaking hands with Witkoff, observed by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
President Trump, who had hinted at the possibility of Hubbard’s freedom earlier in the week, expressed his delight on Truth Social. “Welcome home Stephen, it’s great to have you back,” Trump wrote, emphasizing that no trade had been made for Hubbard’s return. “This major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden Administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin,” he added.
Hubbard’s son, Joseph Coleman, an Orthodox priest, extended thanks to both President Trump and President Putin for his father’s release. “We have been gravely concerned for his safety and health since his 2022 detention,” Coleman stated.
U.S. envoy’s comments anger Ukrainians
Witkoff’s remarks describing Putin as a humanitarian sparked outrage among Ukrainians, who attribute the devastating conflict in their country to the Russian leader. The war, Europe’s largest since World War II, has resulted in over 17,000 civilian casualties, according to the United Nations.
Oleksandr Merezhko, head of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, condemned Witkoff’s comments as “a total disgrace for America, American diplomacy and even for President Trump.” Merezhko compared the situation to “calling Hitler a humanitarian in the middle of the Second World War,” and urged for Witkoff’s immediate removal as U.S. representative.
Hubbard’s release aligns with Trump’s decision to ease some sanctions on Moscow, including a deal to purchase Russian diesel fuel. This move has drawn criticism from Ukraine and its European allies, who argue it bolsters Russia’s military funding.
Putin announced, in a televised address to Witkoff, that the first shipments of 60,000 tons of Russian diesel would reach the U.S. within “2 or 3 days.”
A Russian aide, Yuri Ushakov, informed reporters that Putin agreed to resume trilateral peace talks with the U.S. and Ukraine, slated for mid-November.
Before arriving in St. Petersburg, Witkoff held discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Oslo. Zelensky had requested the meeting amid escalating tensions between Trump and Zelensky over the U.S.’s unexpected diplomatic gestures towards Moscow.
Trump has criticized Zelensky for Ukraine’s retaliatory drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, which Kyiv argues are necessary to impair Russia’s war efforts. Trump contends these actions are inflating U.S. gas prices before midterm elections.
Economists, however, attribute the main cause of high global oil prices to Trump’s conflict with Iran and the subsequent obstruction of the Strait of Hormuz.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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