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A conference room prepared for official discussions, shown in an illustrative image.
Russia Frees Retired US Teacher as Putin Meets Trump Envoy
ST PETERSBURG, Russia — October 21, 2026
Russia has released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American schoolteacher who had been imprisoned since 2022, in a move Russian officials said followed a request from US President Donald Trump. Hubbard was taken to St Petersburg on Wednesday to begin his journey back to the United States.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release during a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions also addressed efforts to end the war in Ukraine, with Witkoff saying further talks would move toward technical-level discussions involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had considered Hubbard’s poor health and Trump’s request when deciding to release him. Trump later confirmed that he had raised the case with Putin during a telephone conversation in recent days. Trump said the United States had given nothing in exchange for the release.
Witkoff thanked Putin for allowing Hubbard to return home, describing the Russian president as a “humanitarian.” The comment drew criticism from lawmakers in both US political parties, who objected to the praise in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump offered a more limited response when asked about Witkoff’s remarks, saying the description related to Putin’s decision to release a man who had feared he might spend the rest of his life in prison. Trump said Hubbard’s family was happy and that progress was being made toward a possible settlement of the war.
Hubbard’s son, Joseph Coleman, told Reuters that he had spoken briefly with his father by telephone before the flight. Coleman said his father sounded happy. Images shared by Reuters showed Hubbard meeting Witkoff in Russia, while Trump later posted a photograph of Hubbard aboard an aircraft holding an American flag.
The release comes as the Trump administration pursues renewed diplomatic engagement with Moscow. Other recent US moves toward Russia, including a reported agreement to buy Russian diesel and a waiver of new sanctions, have drawn criticism in Congress and concern among European governments.
Witkoff described his meeting with Putin as constructive and said he had also met Ukrainian and European leaders in Oslo as part of efforts to advance negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he supported a proposed meeting between negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States as soon as possible, preferably by early November.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said earlier that the discussions might take place in mid-November and focus on possible security arrangements after the conflict. However, violence continued on Wednesday evening, when Ukrainian officials said Russian forces had attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles, damaging homes and a petrol station and causing injuries.
Hubbard, who was originally from Michigan, had been serving a sentence of six years and 10 months following a conviction for mercenary activity in a closed trial. Russian authorities said he had joined a Ukrainian territorial defence unit, received military training and weapons, and been promised monthly payment.
Hubbard was arrested in April 2022 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum. Russian state media reported that he pleaded guilty, but his US-based lawyer, Martin De Luca, previously told Reuters that Hubbard had said the accusations were false and that he had not served in a combat or military unit. Hubbard’s sister also disputed the claim that he had taken up arms for a government.
De Luca welcomed the release and thanked Trump, Witkoff and other US officials for their efforts. As of Wednesday, Hubbard was the only US prisoner held by Russia whom Washington had designated as wrongfully detained, according to the report.
The case follows the Trump administration’s efforts to secure the release of other Americans held in Russia, including schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who was freed in 2025 after serving part of a 14-year sentence for drug smuggling. Hubbard’s return now coincides with a new diplomatic push, although the timing and outcome of broader negotiations over Ukraine remain uncertain.
