Washington DC [US], October 22 (ANI): US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (local time) that he made a direct personal appeal made during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning the conflict in Ukraine which successfully secured the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American citizen held captive by Russian forces since his detention in Kyiv.
Hubbard, a retired English educator in his seventies, received a nearly seven-year custodial sentence during a closed trial conducted in October 2024 concerning allegations of undertaking “mercenary work” supporting Ukraine, an accusation he contests.
In an Oval Office roundtable, Trump outlined how the breakthrough was reached during broader discussions aimed at brokering an end to the war,
Pointing to a phone call with Putin as the decisive turning point that set Hubbard’s return in motion, he said that he politely asked his Russian counterpart to “let Hubbard out”, a request which Trump said met with instant agreement.
“And the other day I was talking with—I set the stage earlier—but the other day I was talking to Vladimir Putin about settling his war with Ukraine, which I think we’re getting closer to, by the way. Maybe now the closest we’ve been. But I mentioned, ‘Could you let Stephen Hubbard out, please?’ And he agreed to do it. So he was met today in Russia, and he’s on his way back. He’s on a flight. Steve Witkoff is with him. His family is with him; his family went over to meet him,” he said.
Detailing the terms under which Hubbard was released, Trump emphasised that the US conceded “nothing in exchange”. Drawing a sharp contrast with previous diplomatic exchanges, Trump argued that offering concessions creates dangerous precedents for American citizens abroad.
“And so we thank everybody involved. This was an amazing thing. They didn’t think he’d come out for 20, 25 years. So we appreciate the fact that we were able to get him. We gave nothing in exchange, which is very rare. We never give anything in exchange; we haven’t. We’ve gotten out hundreds of hostages. We don’t give. Once you give, you’ll end up quadrupling the problem. The past administration gave massive amounts of money and other things. You can’t do that. And when you do that, the problem is greatly exacerbated,” Trump asserted.
Shedding light on Hubbard’s years in detention, which began when he was taken by Russian forces during the former President Joe Biden administration, Trump described watching televised pleas from Hubbard’s family during his prolonged captivity while asserting the administration’s belief in his innocence.
“We had a wonderful man who, during the Biden administration, was taken hostage in Russia. They claimed things—we won’t get into that—but we thought he was a very high-quality, innocent man. Stephen Hubbard, his name is. And he was—for the last number of years I would hear the name, mostly when it happened. When it happened, I would watch his son on television, I’d watch his family on television, begging virtually for him to come back, please,” the US Preisdent said.
Confirming that Hubbard is in good condition following his release and detailing his direct conversation with the freed American earlier in the morning, President Trump said, “So he’ll be landing soon, relatively soon. And I hear he’s in pretty good shape. He went through a lot. I spoke to him this morning. He is the happiest man around. He didn’t think this was going to be—this was very surprising to him. But I did it. It really took place on a phone call at the end of last week with President Putin, so we appreciate it very much. And his family is extremely happy. They can’t believe it because it happened so quickly.”
The prisoner release was initially disclosed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Russian news agencies.
Putin reportedly indicated that Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, adding that Witkoff expressed gratitude towards the Russian leader for the liberation.
This comes as Witkoff met with Putin to brief the Russian leader on his discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo the previous day, which the American envoy characterised as constructive. Following the development, Witkoff conveyed that Trump and the entire nation extended their appreciation for Stephen Hubbard’s release, describing Putin as a humanitarian.
In a statement posted on X, Witkoff detailed a meeting with the US Air Force veteran and retired teacher prior to his departure, highlighting a call from President Donald Trump to the freed American.
“Today, Stephen Hubbard is free and headed back home to his family. Stephen is a proud American citizen, retired teacher, and U.S. Air Force veteran who loves our country. Now, he is on his way back to a family who loves him, a President who never gave up on him, and a nation that proudly welcomes him home. It was my honor to be with Stephen in St. Petersburg today before he departed for the United States. President Trump called Stephen to check on him and reaffirm his unwavering commitment to bringing all Americans wrongfully detained home,” he wrote.
Emphasising that Hubbard’s return, joining a list of other recently released Americans including Robert Gilman, Ksenia Karelina, and Marc Fogel, did not involve any concessions, Witkoff extended gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the interagency diplomatic team.
“Stephen joins more than 110 Americans who @POTUS has freed since returning to office, including Robert Gilman, Ksenia Karelina, and Marc Fogel. This release was not part of an exchange – and we extend our thanks to President Putin for releasing him on President Trump’s request. Thank you to @SecRubio, @JaredKushner, @CIADirector, Senior Director for Counterterrorism @SebGorka and the rest of the team for working tirelessly to achieve President Trump’s mission. President Trump does not leave Americans behind and will continue fighting to bring them all home,” he added. (ANI)
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