Trump Says He Asked Putin to Release an American Jailed in Russia

Key Points:

• President Trump announced he has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to release Stephen James Hubbard, a Michigan teacher detained in Ukraine and sentenced to over six years in a penal colony on fabricated charges of being a mercenary.
• The U.S. State Department has declared Hubbard "wrongfully detained," and former prisoners warn he may die in custody if not freed, though Putin has not publicly addressed the case.
• Trump’s efforts to secure Hubbard’s release align with his "America First" policy and come amid his controversial attempts to rehabilitate relations with Russia, which have alarmed Ukraine and U.S. allies.
• Trump has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for resisting peace terms and has blamed him for high fuel prices in the U.S., while promoting a diesel purchase deal with Russia ahead of midterm elections.
• Trump’s envoys have urged Zelensky to avoid striking Russian oil refineries, with Zelensky temporarily pausing but then resuming such attacks despite the requests.