Russia frees retired US schoolteacher in goodwill gesture as Putin meets Witkoff
ST PETERSBURG, Russia — Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a retired US schoolteacher in custody since 2022, from prison on Wednesday and took him to St Petersburg to fly back to the United States, after talks that Washington said were a step toward ending the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement at a meeting in St Petersburg with US envoy Steve Witkoff, who later…
St. Petersburg, Russia - Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired US schoolteacher who has been in custody since 2022, on Wednesday. He was taken to St. Petersburg and flown back to the United States following talks between Washington and Moscow, which the US described as a step towards ending the Ukraine war. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision at a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Pence later praised Putin as a "humanitarian" for the gesture, a statement that drew criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers due to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The prisoner release comes amid recent diplomatic overtures from former President Donald Trump towards Moscow, including a deal to buy Russian diesel and a waiver of new sanctions, which have already faced bipartisan opposition in the US Congress and raised concerns in European capitals.
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, claimed that Putin released Hubbard at Trump's request and that he also considered the man's poor health.
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