Trump Praises Putin’s Decision to Release US Citizen Stephen Hubbard as an “Amazing Thing”
Washington, The Gulf Observer: US President Donald Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to release American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was convicted in Russia of fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, describing the move as an “amazing thing.”
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump was asked about his latest telephone conversation with Putin. He said he had requested the Russian leader to release Hubbard, and Putin had agreed to the request.
“I mentioned, could you let Stephen Hubbard out, please? And he agreed to do it,” Trump told reporters, expressing appreciation for the Russian president’s decision.
Hubbard was convicted in Russia for participating in combat operations alongside Ukrainian forces. In 2024, the Moscow City Court sentenced him to six years and ten months in a general-regime penal colony. He confessed to the charges, and the time he had spent in custody since 2022 was credited toward his prison sentence.
News of Hubbard’s release emerged during a visit to St. Petersburg by US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told TASS that Putin had decided to release Hubbard as a goodwill gesture.
The development highlights a further point of engagement between Washington and Moscow amid ongoing tensions over the conflict in Ukraine and broader bilateral relations.
