Russia Frees American Stephen Hubbard After Witkoff-Putin Meeting as Ukraine Peace Talks Resume

Russia Frees American Stephen Hubbard After Witkoff-Putin Meeting as Ukraine Peace Talks Resume

World HEADLINE: Russia Frees American Stephen Hubbard After Witkoff-Putin Meeting as Ukraine Peace Talks Resume CATEGORY: World PHOTO: https://www.journal21.ch/sites/default/files/styles/primer_og_image/public/2025-04/witkoff-foto-2.jpg.webp?itok=Wdnuj__N SOURCE: https://wncy.com/2026/10/21/putin-says-russia-has-freed-us-citizen-stephen-hubbard/

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard at the start of his meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, in a surprise goodwill gesture as both sides push to revive Ukraine peace talks.

Hubbard, 74, is a retired schoolteacher from Michigan who had been held in Russia since April 2022. He was sentenced in 2024 to six years and 10 months in a penal colony after a closed-door trial on mercenary charges, which he denied. Washington had designated him wrongfully detained.

Putin told Witkoff the freed American was already at Pulkovo airport, ready to fly home. President Donald Trump said he had raised Hubbard's case directly with Putin and that the United States gave nothing in return for the release.

The three-hour meeting also produced movement on the war itself. Russia agreed in principle to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine, possibly beginning after November 10, with Abu Dhabi under consideration as a venue. Witkoff had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo a day earlier alongside European leaders, with Jared Kushner joining the Putin session virtually.

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