Trump Says Russia Released Detained American Stephen Hubbard With Nothing in Return from the US

In a statement posted on his social media platform, Trump said Hubbard, taken by Russian forces about four years earlier during the Biden administration, was freed at his direct request to President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation the previous week.

“Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family,” Trump wrote.

“The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return—an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release.”

He added that the release “should have taken place long ago through the Biden Administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin,” and closed with: “Welcome home Stephen, it’s great to have you back.”

Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired schoolteacher and Michigan native, had been held since April 2022 after Russian forces took him in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum early in the full-scale invasion. Russian authorities accused him of serving as a mercenary with a Ukrainian territorial defense unit; he was convicted in a closed 2024 trial and sentenced to nearly seven years in a penal colony. The U.S. State Department had designated him wrongfully detained. Hubbard and his representatives denied the charges, saying he was not involved in any combat or military role.

The release was also confirmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in St. Petersburg with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin said Hubbard had been freed and was at Pulkovo Airport; Russian state media described the move as made on humanitarian grounds. Witkoff thanked Putin, calling him a “humanitarian.”

Reports said Hubbard had been in poor health and was expected to return to the United States, with some accounts noting plans for medical treatment.

Trump’s statement framed the outcome as a diplomatic success achieved without a prisoner exchange or other reciprocal concessions, contrasting it with prior unsuccessful efforts. The development occurred amid ongoing U.S.-Russia contacts related to the war in Ukraine.