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Russia releases imprisoned U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard : NPR
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of American Stephen Hubbard from a Russian prison following a request from former U.S. President Donald Trump.
- Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old from Michigan, was detained in eastern Ukraine in 2022 and sentenced to nearly seven years for serving as a mercenary in the Ukrainian army after a closed trial in 2024.
- The announcement coincided with talks between Putin and White House envoy Steve Witkoff in Saint Petersburg, focused on U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
- Trump had formally requested Hubbard's release and had previously designated him as wrongfully detained under the Biden administration.
- Hubbard's release occurs amid Trump's recent lifting of some sanctions on Moscow and his public criticism of Ukraine during ongoing U.S. negotiations to end the conflict.
