‘Should have taken place long ago’ – djt
Summarized by Jennifer Rae for The Plain Truth, from reporting by Bob Unruh, WND, with additional background from Reuters and The Washington Post.
Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher from Michigan, has been released after more than four years in Russian detention. President Donald Trump said he personally requested Hubbard’s freedom during a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The announcement came Wednesday, October 21, following Trump’s brief comments about the case the previous day. According to WND, Trump had encouraged reporters to watch for developments.
Stephen Hubbard released after years in detention
Hubbard’s release brings a major change in a case involving accusations that he fought for Ukraine. Russian authorities prosecuted him for alleged mercenary activity.
However, his family disputed those allegations. The Washington Post reported that relatives described him as a pacifist.
Hubbard came from Big Rapids, Michigan, and spent decades teaching English overseas. He later lived in Ukraine, where Russian forces detained him in 2022.
In October 2024, a Russian court sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison after a closed-door trial. Consequently, his detention continued long after the initial capture.
Trump describes his request to Putin
Meanwhile, Trump said he raised Hubbard’s case directly with Putin during a telephone call the previous week. He credited that conversation with securing the retired teacher’s release.
The president also said the arrangement did not require a prisoner exchange. In his statement, he argued that Hubbard’s freedom should have come much earlier.
Reuters reported that Putin announced the release during a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. The development therefore coincided with diplomatic discussions involving the United States and Russia.
Freedom follows a lengthy imprisonment
For Hubbard and his family, the announcement ends years of uncertainty surrounding his imprisonment. It also draws renewed attention to the circumstances of his capture and prosecution.
The accounts distinguish Russia’s accusations from the objections raised by his relatives. That distinction remains important when describing why authorities held him.
Ultimately, the release marks a significant development in Hubbard’s individual case. It also forms part of the wider diplomatic picture surrounding US-Russia relations.
Read Bob Unruh’s full report on Stephen Hubbard’s release at WND.