Trump announces release of Russian-held American prisoner

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(The Center Square) – Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher from Michigan, has been released from a Russian prison, according to President Donald Trump.

​Less than 24 hours after the president was asked about the potential release, the president told reporters to “stick with me,” teasing that the release could be imminent.

​In a Truth Social post, Trump underscored that the release was not a “swap.”

​“Stephen 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,” the president wrote. “The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return – an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release.”

​Trump took another swipe at the Biden administration, saying the release “should have taken place long ago,” and it “got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin.”

​Hubbard was taken prisoner shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in spring 2022.

​The 74-year-old American was sentenced to more than six years in a Russian prison, following a closed trial in 2024.

​The announcement comes after the Trump administration eased some sanctions on Russia, specifically on diesel exports.