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U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard released by Russia after 4 years in jail, and Trump says "no 'swap'"
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen jailed in Russia for over four years on accusations of fighting for Ukraine, has been released following a direct request from President Trump to President Putin, confirmed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff during talks in St. Petersburg.
- President Trump claimed Hubbard's release required no prisoner swap and was facilitated by the U.S. halting new sanctions against Russia, a move criticized by some members of Congress.
- Hubbard, 74, was declared wrongfully detained by the U.S. government and is expected to receive medical treatment in Texas after his release; he was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in a Russian penal colony.
- The release is part of a broader context of Americans held in Russia, with some freed through negotiations and prisoner swaps, while others remain detained under various charges.
- The U.S. State Department continues to advise against travel to Russia due to risks of wrongful detention and maintains mechanisms to address wrongful detention cases, though Russia has not been designated a "state sponsor of wrongful detention."
