Putin frees US teacher Stephen Hubbard during talks with Witkoff in St Petersburg
In short
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 21 October, at a meeting with US envoy Witkoff in St Petersburg, that he had released Stephen Hubbard, a former US teacher held in Russia since April 2022. Trump said on social media that the US was asked for nothing in return, while also saying that sanctions would have stalled the talks.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 21 October that he had released Stephen Hubbard (スティーブン・ハバード), a former US teacher held in Russia. He made the announcement at a meeting with US envoy Witkoff in St Petersburg, TASS reported. Putin said Hubbard was already at the St Petersburg airport, and the Russian presidential office published the announcement, according to Nikkei. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
Hubbard, 74, was detained in April 2022, according to TASS as cited by Mainichi. Russian prosecutors said, as cited by TBS, that he had contracted with the Ukrainian army and was detained in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, which was under Russian occupation. In October 2024 he was sentenced to 6 years and 10 months in prison, on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, TBS reported. Jiji Press said a Moscow court passed the sentence. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
At the start of the meeting Witkoff thanked Putin for the release, Asahi and Nikkei reported. Trump had said on 20 October that he had asked Putin to free Hubbard, according to Nippon TV, Mainichi and TBS. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Trump wrote on social media that the US was asked for nothing in return, Jiji Press, TBS and Asahi reported. TBS said he put the release down to Russian respect for him and said he had asked Putin directly by phone last week. In another post, he said talks would have collapsed if sanctions had been imposed. Jiji Press linked this to a sanctions exemption on Russia decided last week. NHK reported on 22 October that he thanked Putin and repeated that there were no conditions. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 8 ]
Witkoff had met Zelensky and others in Oslo on 20 October. Jiji Press said Witkoff called those talks productive and said progress had been made. According to a Russian official cited by Jiji Press, Putin said he was ready to resume US-Russia-Ukraine talks in mid-November. Those talks have been suspended since the US military operation against Iran. The same official said China was preparing a US-China-Russia summit alongside the APEC meeting. Putin also expressed willingness to meet Trump on the sidelines of the summit in China in November. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Asahi said Putin wanted to discuss plans to restore US-Russia economic cooperation. It reported that, under an agreement in the leaders' call on 9 October, Russia would resume diesel supplies to the world in exchange for easing of US sanctions. Putin said the first tanker would leave in two or three days, and Witkoff thanked him. Asahi said the Trump administration was concerned about diesel prices before the 3 November midterm elections. It added that Kushner did not travel to Russia because of illness. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The release came during talks on the war in Ukraine, and Japanese outlets reported that Putin also expressed readiness to resume US-Russia-Ukraine talks in mid-November. A Russian official said a US-China-Russia summit at the APEC meeting in China was being prepared, but the documents give no confirmation from the other sides.
Key facts
- Putin met US envoy Witkoff in St Petersburg on 21 October and announced the release of Stephen Hubbard (スティーブン・ハバード), a former teacher. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Putin said Hubbard was already at the St Petersburg airport. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Hubbard, 74, was detained in April 2022 and sentenced in October 2024 to 6 years and 10 months in prison for fighting on the Ukrainian side, according to TASS and Russian prosecutors as cited by outlets. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Trump said on social media that the US was not asked for anything in return, and that talks would have collapsed had sanctions been imposed. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- Witkoff met Ukrainian President Zelensky in Oslo on 20 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- According to a Russian official cited by Jiji Press, Putin said he was ready to resume US-Russia-Ukraine talks in mid-November. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Putin met Witkoff in St Petersburg on 21 October and said Hubbard, a former teacher held in Russia, had been released. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Trump had said on 20 October that he asked Putin to release Hubbard. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Witkoff met Zelensky in Oslo on 20 October before travelling to Russia. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Trump said on social media that Russia asked for nothing in return for the release. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 8 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the release involved any concession. Trump said the US was asked for nothing, but he also said sanctions would have stalled the talks and referred to a sanctions exemption decided last week, according to Jiji Press.
- Whether a US-China-Russia summit at the APEC meeting in China will take place. A Russian official quoted by Jiji Press said China was preparing for it, and Asahi said it was probably discussed; no document confirms a meeting.
- Whether Witkoff presented a new peace proposal to Putin. Nippon TV, before the meeting, cited Axios as saying he would; later documents do not report the outcome.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Nippon TV reported, citing US media, that Witkoff was due to meet Putin on 21 October with a new peace proposal. [ 1 ]
- Jiji Press reported that Putin announced the release of a US citizen at the meeting. [ 2 ]
- TBS reported Putin's statement that Hubbard was already at the St Petersburg airport. [ 4 ]
- Asahi reported that Witkoff thanked Putin for the release and for the resumption of diesel supply. [ 5 ]
- NHK reported Trump's social media post saying the American was freed at the US request. [ 7 ]
- On 22 October NHK reported that Trump thanked Putin and again said there was no quid pro quo. [ 8 ]