Witkoff meets Putin: Russia frees 74-year-old American – push to restart Ukraine talks
At talks in St Petersburg, Russia released a detained US citizen. Witkoff urged a return to three-way talks with Kyiv, while Putin offered help on Iran.
Archive image · Photo: kremlin.ru / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
At the start of his meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard. The 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan had been in Russian custody since April 2022; according to Putin, he was already at Pulkovo airport awaiting a flight to the United States. Witkoff thanked Putin, saying Hubbard was going home to his family because of him.
Hubbard was sentenced in 2024 to six years and ten months in prison after a closed-door trial. Russian prosecutors accused him of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine's armed forces; his US lawyer denied this, and Washington classed him as wrongfully detained. Trump said he had raised the case with Putin shortly before the trip.
According to Reuters, as cited by BTA, Witkoff urged Putin to resume the US-brokered three-way talks with Ukraine, which have been stalled since February. Putin reportedly offered help on Iran and fertiliser supplies for US farmers, and wants to discuss a possible meeting with Trump in China next month. The two sides remain far apart on a peace deal.