Russia frees retired US schoolteacher in goodwill gesture as Putin meets Witkoff
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 US, after talks that Washington said were a step toward ending the war in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired US schoolteacher, from prison after talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff, as reported by Reuters. The release took place in St Petersburg, where Putin later announced it during a meeting with Witkoff. Putin claimed the move was a humanitarian gesture, citing Hubbard's poor health and Trump's request, according to Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Witkoff praised Putin as a "humanitarian" for the release, drawing criticism from US lawmakers who saw it as inappropriate given Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Hubbard, who had been serving a six-year and ten-month sentence for a mercenary conviction, was welcomed by his son Joseph Coleman upon his arrival in the US. The release of Hubbard was seen as a step towards ending the war in Ukraine, with Witkoff stating that the talks would continue towards technical-level discussions among the US, Russia, and Ukraine.
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