Russia frees US citizen Stephen Hubbard as Putin meets Witkoff for Ukraine peace talks
Summary
Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired US schoolteacher held in Russian custody since 2022, as Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on new Ukraine peace talks on Wednesday. Putin announced the release and said Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg. Channel NewsAsia reported that Hubbard had been held on mercenary charges, and NBC News reported that he lived in eastern Ukraine and was convicted of serving as a mercenary after Russia's full-scale invasion. Trump confirmed the release and said the US was not required to give anything in return. CBS News, citing Witkoff, reported that he called Putin "a humanitarian."
Timeline
The Straits Times
Source ↗The Straits Times reports that Putin said Russia had freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old US citizen held in Russian custody since 2022, who was at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, and that Trump confirmed the release and said the US was not required to give anything in return.
Channel NewsAsia
Source ↗Channel NewsAsia reports that Putin hosted the Trump envoy for new Ukraine peace talks and freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired US school teacher who had been held in Russia on mercenary charges.
The Straits Times
Source ↗The Straits Times explainer reports that Putin announced the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard from Russian detention on Wednesday, at the start of talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
ABC
Source ↗ABC reports that Putin announced the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old US citizen held in Russian custody since 2022, during a meeting with Witkoff, and that Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg.
Hindustan Times
Source ↗Hindustan Times reports that Steve Witkoff arrived in Russia as part of negotiations that secured the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old Michigan retiree detained since 2022.
NBC News
Source ↗NBC News reports that Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher who lived in eastern Ukraine, was detained in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion and was later convicted of serving as a mercenary.
CBS News
Source ↗CBS News reports, citing Witkoff, that Stephen Hubbard, an American deemed wrongfully detained by the U.S., was released after more than four years in prison, and that Witkoff called Putin "a humanitarian."
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