Russia frees American teacher Stephen Hubbard, 74, as Trump envoy Witkoff salutes Putin as a 'humanitarian'
Stephen Hubbard, the Michigan teacher whom Vladimir Putin freed unilaterally — not in a prisoner swap — after being jailed in Russia for nearly seven years as a mercenary.Steve Witkoff with Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev in St Petersburg. Vladimir Putin revealed during their talks that Stephen Hubbard was already at Pulkovo Airport awaiting his flight home.
Vladimir Putin announced the release during St Petersburg talks with Steve Witkoff, saying Hubbard was already at Pulkovo Airport. Moscow jailed the Michigan teacher on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, which the State Department called fabricated. He was freed unilaterally rather than in a prisoner swap. President Donald Trump had personally asked Putin to free him on Tuesday.
Witkoff told Putin: 'You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that.'
Putin used the same talks to suggest he and Trump could meet in China.
His sister Patricia Hubbard Fox doubted his confession, saying he held pro-Russian views.
