Putin Announces Release of U.S. Citizen Imprisoned in Russia, Signals Openness to Economic Cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who has been imprisoned in Moscow since 2022 on charges of fighting in Ukraine.

The announcement came during Putin’s meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. During the talks, the Russian president proposed the possibility of meeting his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in China and expressed Moscow’s willingness to discuss ways to resume economic cooperation between Russia and the United States.

Putin said Trump was paying particular attention to efforts to reach a settlement in Ukraine, adding that Moscow welcomed this approach and supported initiatives aimed at advancing a resolution to the conflict.

The Russian president concluded by stating that Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg and was free to depart for the United States.