Vladimir Putin announced the release of American prisoner Stephen Hubbard during a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. According to Deutsche Welle, the Russian president said on 21 October that Hubbard was at the airport. Witkoff said the American was returning to his family, although the report does not confirm his arrival in the United States.
Hubbard was detained by Russian forces on a charge of mercenary activity, which he denies. DW reports that a Russian court sentenced him to seven years in prison in 2024 following a trial held behind closed doors.
Donald Trump said he had asked Putin to release Hubbard during a telephone call the previous week. He also maintained that the release had not required a prisoner exchange. In a subsequent post, however, he described holding off on a new round of sanctions as a concession needed to keep negotiations going. These are the US president’s statements, rather than an independently confirmed account of the full terms of Hubbard’s release.
Ukraine peace proposals also discussed
The meeting in St Petersburg also addressed the war in Ukraine. Witkoff presented Putin with proposals for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. According to DW, the Kremlin described them as lacking concrete substance, while also indicating that Putin was willing in principle to resume peace talks after 10 November.
That willingness was expressed only “in principle”. It therefore does not amount to an agreed date for a specific meeting or an agreement on peace terms. The announcement of Hubbard’s release accompanied diplomatic discussions, but does not itself confirm a breakthrough in negotiations over Ukraine.
