President Trump celebrated the release of Stephen Hubbard from Russia on Wednesday, attributing the long-held situation to former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Trump stated he personally requested the release of the 74-year-old during a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. He claimed Putin agreed to the release without asking for anything in return, indicating a level of respect for his request.
“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,” Trump shared in a post on Truth Social.
“Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family,” Trump added, expressing pride and relief in his statement. He termed the release “unprecedented,” emphasizing that there was no exchange necessary for Hubbard’s freedom, attributing this to the respect Putin had for him.
Trump criticized Biden for not securing Hubbard’s release sooner, stating, “This major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden Administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin.” He argued that the Hubbard release should have happened much earlier and highlighted the impact a different presidency can make.
Hubbard, a US Air Force and National Guard veteran from Big Rapids, Michigan, was living in eastern Ukraine when Russia began its invasion in February 2022. He was captured by Russian forces in April 2022 and later convicted of being a mercenary in October 2024, receiving a sentence of nearly seven years.
According to Russian prosecutors, Hubbard was said to have joined a Ukrainian territorial defense unit, receiving training and compensation. He reportedly pleaded guilty at a closed trial, although Hubbard’s US lawyer contended that the charges were false and that Hubbard was not involved in any combat or military activities.
Hubbard detailed that he was taken from his house in Izyum without warning. The US government designated him as wrongfully detained in January 2025, which allowed for negotiation efforts for his release to commence.
The State Department highlighted challenges in accessing Hubbard due to Russia’s refusal to grant consular access. His legal team only discovered his location in April 2025, after he had been moved through several detention centers.
With Post wires
