The key facts
- Trump said there was no prisoner exchange in Hubbard's release
- Hubbard was sentenced in October 2024 to 6 years and 10 months in a penal colony for mercenarism
- The release decision was announced at Putin's meeting with Witkoff in St. Petersburg
Trump: no exchange took place
US President Donald Trump said that Washington did not hand over any prisoners to Russia in exchange for the release of American Stephen Hubbard. 'An unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no need for an exchange for his release,' he wrote on the social network Truth Social.
Criticism of the previous administration
Trump also criticized the previous US administration. In his view, Hubbard should have been freed under Joe Biden, but at that time negotiations with the Kremlin reached a dead end.
The Hubbard case
Stephen Hubbard was held in Russian custody in a mercenarism case. In October 2024, the Moscow City Court sentenced him to six years and ten months in a penal colony for participating in hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Course of events
On October 20, Trump said he had personally asked Putin to release Hubbard, but at that point did not reveal Moscow's answer. The next day, the positive decision became known during talks between the Russian president and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. The American representative thanked Putin for the release of his compatriot. According to Life.ru, Putin said the freed American was at Pulkovo.
