Russia Releases American Stephen Hubbard After Years in Prison
Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, an American held since 2022, as President Trump defended a waiver of Russian sanctions that he said had kept talks on his release alive.
Russia released Stephen Hubbard, an American who had been jailed in Russia since 2022, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump, as CBS News video report on the release stated.
The New York Times profile of Mr. Hubbard, written by Kim Barker and Lynsey Chutel, identified him as Stephen James Hubbard, a 74-year-old teacher. The Times reported that he was held for more than four years on what the State Department called fabricated charges.
The Hill reported in its account of Trump's remarks on the sanctions waiver that the president defended his decision not to impose Russian sanctions, saying that implementing them would have halted negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Hubbard's release. The Hill described Hubbard as a retired schoolteacher who was arrested by Russian authorities when Russia invaded Ukraine. According to The Hill, Trump said "Numerous people" who had asked for sanctions to be imposed immediately had called to apologize.
CBS attributed the release to statements from Witkoff and Trump. The Hill attributed to Trump the argument that sanctions would have ended the talks. The Times reported the State Department's description of the charges as fabricated. The Times and The Hill describe Hubbard differently in one respect, since the Times gives his age as 74 and The Hill calls him retired, but the descriptions do not conflict.
None of the three summaries available for this report described the terms under which Hubbard was freed, or whether any exchange accompanied his release. The accounts also do not establish how the talks on his release unfolded beyond the remarks attributed to Trump and the statements attributed to Witkoff.
Sources: The Hill: Trump: Implementing Russia sanctions would have halted Stephen Hubbard release talks; The New York Times: Who Is Stephen James Hubbard, the American Released From Russian Jail?; CBS News: Stephen Hubbard released by Russia after years in prison.