Putin announced during discussions with Trump's emissary that he released an American accused by Russia of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.

Putin announced during discussions with Trump's envoy that he had released an American accused by Russia of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. The American Stephen Hubbard was arrested in April 2022 in the city of Izium, in eastern Ukraine, where Russian prosecutors alleged he had been serving at a Ukrainian military checkpoint. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Wednesday that Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen held by Russian authorities since 2022, had been released and was at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg. Putin did not provide further details in the statements published by the Russian state media. The head of the Kremlin made this announcement during a meeting with the American envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. Hubbard, a retired professor from Michigan, was serving a sentence of nearly seven years in Russia following a conviction for mercenary activity, pronounced in a closed-door trial. He was arrested in April 2022 in the city of Izium, in eastern Ukraine, where Russian prosecutors alleged he had been serving at a Ukrainian military checkpoint. The Russian state media reported that he had admitted guilt regarding the accusations. However, his lawyer in the US, Martin De Luca, previously stated to Reuters that Hubbard had told him that the accusations against him were false and that he was not part of any fighting or military unit. At the time of his release, Hubbard was the only American prisoner held by Russia who had been designated by Washington as "unjustly detained". The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced in recent days that he was in discussions with officials from Washington regarding the possible release of prisoners but did not provide further details. US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that he and Putin had discussed Hubbard and made an allusion to a possible release.