Putin Releases Hubbard as Witkoff Meets Him
St Petersburg – Vladimir Putin ordered the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard on Wednesday as he met with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to discuss potential steps toward ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting took place at the Constantine Palace in St Petersburg, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Washington amid shifting political dynamics in the United States. Hubbard, a 74-year-old former teacher who has been detained in Russia for more than four years on charges related to fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, was freed unilaterally by Russian authorities rather than through a traditional prisoner exchange.
Trump announced the release on his social media platform Truth Social, stating that it followed a direct request he had made to Putin the previous week. He emphasized that the United States did not have to offer anything in return, describing the situation as unprecedented for Russia. This move appears to be a calculated effort by Moscow to align Trump further with its positions on Ukraine while providing the US president with a diplomatic victory ahead of midterm elections.
During their meeting, Witkoff offered high praise for Putin, referring to him as a humanitarian. He conveyed Trump’s gratitude for an agreement to resume Russian diesel exports to the US, noting that the first tanker carrying approximately 300,000 tonnes of fuel would depart on Thursday. Despite this cooperation, Putin remains wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a war criminal concerning the deportation of Ukrainian children during the conflict.
The warmth of Witkoff’s remarks contrasted sharply with the increasingly hostile rhetoric from senior US officials toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump has previously called for Zelenskyy’s resignation, portraying him as an obstacle to peace. Earlier in Oslo, Witkoff had met with Zelenskyy and European leaders to inject momentum into stalled negotiations, but relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated due to Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel and his criticism of Ukraine’s military actions against Russian oil refineries.
Kyiv has reported disruptions in US intelligence-sharing and restrictions on access to Starshield, the military-grade version of Elon Musk’s satellite network. While Zelenskyy noted that Washington resumed providing advance warnings of Russian missile attacks after his meeting with Witkoff, uncertainties remain regarding who ordered the slowdown of Starshield services. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk personally ordered the reduction, while Reuters cited sources indicating the directive came from within the White House.
Putin thanked Trump and his wife, Melania, for their attention to efforts to end the war, and Witkoff described the talks in Oslo as constructive. The Kremlin expressed openness to new three-way peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US, potentially held in Abu Dhabi, focusing on security guarantees post-war. Additionally, Putin highlighted prospects for closer economic ties, suggesting increased Russian fertilizer exports to the American market. Discussions also touched on a possible summit in China next month involving Putin, Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Beijing reportedly preparing for what the Kremlin termed an unprecedented gathering of the three leaders.
This report was produced in the Europe Brief News newsroom.
