(ST PETERSBURG) – Russia has released a US citizen jailed for fighting for Ukraine. Steven Hubbard, a retired American teacher, was imprisoned by Russia on charges of fighting as a mercenary for the Ukrainian military.
He was detained just months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He was later sentenced to almost seven years in prison in a closed trial in 2024.
Prosecutors accused him of fighting alongside the Ukrainian military. The US government under the Biden administration designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained.
News of his release was announced within hours of the arrival of Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Russia for talks with the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Hubbard is now the second American detainee to be freed by Moscow in just over two months. The release comes at a crucial moment in the war in Ukraine.
A diesel deal has been struck between the US and Russia. Trump has also decided to waive a series of Russia related sanctions.
The announcement came right at the start of the talks between Putin and Witkoff in St Petersburg. That timing is probably no coincidence.
Putin revealed that Hubbard, who fought within Ukrainian territorial defence forces and was convicted by a Russian court on mercenary charges, has been released. According to Putin, Hubbard is already at St Petersburg’s Pulkovo international airport.
Hubbard was 72 when he was sentenced in October 2024. He received six years and 10 months in prison.
He had joined territorial defence units in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where he had lived for many years. He was captured by Russian forces in April 2022.
The release itself was not entirely unexpected. The New York Times reported ahead of Witkoff’s trip that securing Hubbard’s freedom was one of the objectives of the visit.
What is striking is the way this was rolled out politically. The announcement came literally at the opening of the talks, suggesting the release had been agreed beforehand and was deliberately timed to Witkoff’s visit.
It can also be interpreted as a signal particularly to European leaders. The message from Moscow appears to be that it can do business with Americans and reach agreements that produce results.
It is a way of portraying Washington as a reliable negotiation partner while highlighting the benefits of engagement with Russia. Reports about the first diesel shipment from Russia to the United States emerged just minutes before news of Hubbard’s release.
Taken together, these developments look less like a coincidence and more like a carefully coordinated effort designed to create political momentum and send a broader message.
The meeting began around noon Moscow time at the Konstantin Palace outside St Petersburg. The opening portion was televised and open to the press.
Witkoff thanked Putin for agreeing to what he called the diesel deal. He also said he had brought documents outlining possible approaches to a peace settlement.
The United States appears to be making another attempt to restart a diplomatic process aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. That was almost certainly the central topic of the talks.
Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law who often accompanies Witkoff on these trips, did not travel to Russia because of illness but participated via video link. Before arriving in St Petersburg, Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo, where several European leaders and EU representatives were also present.
Both Putin and Trump have previously indicated they are open to a future meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine. Such a format was very likely among the issues discussed during the negotiations in St Petersburg.
Much boils down to whether all this adds up to any real momentum for peace in Ukraine. Putin and Trump say they want to meet. They have also signalled interest in holding talks together later this year.
But there is another important fact. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not part of those discussions until now.
From Kyiv’s perspective, that is not encouraging news. Any diplomatic framework that sidelines Ukraine is bound to raise concerns about how sustainable or acceptable a future settlement would be.
Today’s discussions in Russia may have included a renewed peace proposal developed by Ukraine and its European partners. If that is the case, more could be learned about its contents in the coming days.
At the moment, however, no details have been made public. While there are certainly signs of increased diplomatic activity, it remains far too early to conclude that a breakthrough is near.
What is being seen is movement. But whether that movement leads to a genuine peace process is still an open question.
Hubbard’s release came just days after Donald Trump publicly said he had asked Putin to free him. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Hubbard, taken four years ago by Russia during the Biden administration, was just released from prison at the request of President Donald J. Trump made directly to President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation last week.
Trump added that Steven is on his way back home and will soon be with his family. He claimed the United States, out of respect for Donald Trump, was not required to give anything in return.
He described this as an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no swap necessary for this release.
Trump also stated that this major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin.
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