Russia frees U.S. teacher Hubbard as Witkoff meets Putin

Russia released American prisoner Stephen Hubbard on Oct. 21 during a visit to St. Petersburg by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the Kremlin said it is ready to return to three-way peace talks with the United States and Ukraine.

Hubbard, 74, is the second American freed by Russia in about two months, after Robert Gilman in August, Euronews reported, citing AP. He had been serving a sentence of nearly seven years handed down in 2024 after a closed-door trial.

Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for more than three hours, Euronews reported. Witkoff said afterward on social media that the discussions were “constructive” and would continue “with trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine at the technical level.” He added: “While there is still important work left to do, President Trump remains committed to seeing this war end.”

Hubbard, a retired teacher, was accused of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine and was first imprisoned in 2022, according to Euronews. The U.S. government has classified him as wrongfully detained. The Kyiv Independent reported that he had reportedly lived in Ukraine since 2014.

The Kyiv Independent, citing Russian state media, reported that Putin said Hubbard had already been taken to the airport. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had asked Putin for the release in a call the previous week, and that the United States was not required to give anything in return, the outlet reported.

Witkoff praised Putin during the meeting. “You, too, are a humanitarian, sir, and I commend you for that,” he said, according to the Kyiv Independent.

The visit came a day after Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo, which Zelenskyy called constructive. Zelenskyy met Witkoff in Oslo on Oct. 20 before the envoy travelled on to Russia.

On Oct. 21, Zelenskyy said Kyiv would support a ceasefire, steps on the energy sector, humanitarian initiatives, prisoner returns and the return of diplomats. “I do not yet know the final dates for this meeting,” he said, adding that talks were likely in November. He also voiced caution. “In the past, things have changed or been called off. We shall see how it goes this time,” Zelenskyy said, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump appears “quite sincere and consistent” in his wish to help bring about a peaceful resolution. The Kyiv Independent noted that Russian state media made no mention of Putin committing to trilateral talks. The Kremlin also said, per Euronews, that recent Ukrainian and European proposals lacked substance. The Kremlin has said it is ready for Ukraine talks in the coming weeks.

Moscow also said preparations are under way for a summit in Shenzhen, China, among Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month, Euronews reported. That claim comes from Russian officials and was not confirmed elsewhere in the reports reviewed. Trump has said he is open to a three-way meeting with Xi and Putin.

The prisoner release follows a diplomatic thaw that has angered Kyiv and European capitals. Trump issued a broad sanctions waiver on Oct. 16 and earlier agreed to buy Russian diesel, the Kyiv Independent reported. Euronews said the diesel arrangement, under which U.S. sanctions were eased so Russian fuel could flow to the United States, has provoked outrage in Ukraine and across Europe. Trump said Ukraine needs a new leader after the diesel deal.

After the Oslo talks, Zelenskyy said he was thankful that intelligence sharing with Washington is working again. Trump said on Oct. 20 that the United States has “got nothing back” from Ukraine, adding: “It’s time to make a deal.”

No date has been set for the technical-level talks. Zelenskyy said Ukraine hopes Russia will follow through on its stated readiness to meet.

Via Euronews and the Kyiv Independent.

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