Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard during discussions with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Hubbard was captured by Russian forces, accused of being a mercenary — an allegation he denies — and was sentenced to seven years in prison in a closed trial in 2024.
Putin confirmed that Hubbard was at the airport, to which Witkoff added that Hubbard was “going home to his family.” US President Donald Trump stated that he had directly requested this release from Putin in a phone call last week, claiming, “The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return — an unprecedented situation for Russia.”
Trump also noted that many had apologised to him for criticising his decision to suspend a fresh round of sanctions, which he deemed necessary for the negotiations. He warned that imposing sanctions would have halted discussions entirely.
The release is viewed as a goodwill gesture from Russia towards the Trump administration amidst ongoing talks over a peace deal regarding Ukraine. Witkoff presented proposals for a peace agreement, but the Kremlin described them as lacking substance. Nonetheless, Putin agreed “in principle” to resume peace discussions after November 10.
Putin suggested that Witkoff explore the restoration of relations between Washington and Moscow and expressed openness to a potential trilateral meeting with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hoped for productive outcomes from the dialogue, advocating for a freeze along the front line as a step towards ceasefire talks. European leaders, attending talks in Oslo, are keen for updates from the discussions between Witkoff and Putin.
Witkoff, who had met with Zelenskyy and other European leaders, is expected to return to Oslo for more consultations after his talks in St. Petersburg. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store remarked that Russia seems to be exploring diplomatic opportunities, although Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered a more cautious view, saying he did not expect any “miracle.”
Trump reiterated that he wants Zelenskyy to “make a deal.”
