The key facts
- Trump said he spoke with Putin about Hubbard and asked him to release him
- Hubbard was sentenced on October 7, 2024 to 6 years and 10 months in a penal colony
- Moscow's response and the existence of agreements are not disclosed
Appeal to Putin
US President Donald Trump told journalists in Washington that he asked Russian leader Vladimir Putin to free 72-year-old American Stephen Hubbard, convicted in Russia for participating in hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 'I spoke with President Putin about Hubbard. I spoke with him for a long time, I appealed to him with a request to release him. We'll see what happens,' Life.ru quotes him as saying. Trump emphasized that he expects Hubbard's return to the US and believes the time has come to free the US citizen. At the same time, he did not specify what response he received from Putin or whether preliminary agreements had been reached.
Hubbard's Sentence
Stephen Hubbard was sentenced by the Moscow City Court on October 7, 2024 to six years and ten months in a general-regime penal colony in a case of participation in the armed conflict on the side of Ukraine. During the consideration of the case, the American pleaded guilty to the charges. The court credited the time he spent in custody since April 2022 toward his sentence.
Context of Trump's Statements
According to Life.ru, Trump previously said in an interview with Newsmax that it was easier for him to deal with Putin than with Volodymyr Zelensky, and also expressed the opinion that Moscow is more interested in resolving the conflict than Kyiv. He repeatedly called on Zelensky to move toward concluding an agreement and criticized Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes on Russian oil refineries, believing that such attacks contribute to rising world oil prices and harm other states.
