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Putin orders release of jailed American as he meets Trump envoy for Ukraine talks

Russia frees Stephen Hubbard after US request while Steve Witkoff praises Putin, wanted by ICC as war criminal, as a ‘humanitarian’ Vladimir Putin ordered the release of an American man from a Russian jail as he met Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday for fresh talks on ending the war in Ukraine, amid increasingly close…

Sources (1)· Oct 22, 1:16 AM

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The Guardian· Oct 22, 1:16 AMPutin orders release of jailed American as he meets Trump envoy for Ukraine talks

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Who is Stephen Hubbard, imprisoned American released by Russia?Russia on Wednesday released American teacher Stephen Hubbard, who was serving a seven-year prison sentence after prosecutors accused him of working with Ukraine as a mercenary following the Russian invasion that launched the war between the two countries. President Trump announced the development on Truth Social after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff…

The Hill15h agoSources (2)Whole story →

Trump Envoy Gives Nauseating Praise of Putin as Russia Frees AmericanTrump administration envoy Steve Witkoff thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “humanitarian.” The comment came after Russia on Wednesday released 74-year-old Stephen James Hubbard, an American who spent four years locked up under accusations of being a Ukrainian mercenary. “He’s a 75-year-old man. You talk so much about my president, President…

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Witkoff faces backlash after calling Putin a 'humanitarian'Special envoy Steve Witkoff is facing criticism from lawmakers after calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “humanitarian” for releasing an American who has been held in Russia for years. President Trump had made a direct appeal to Putin for the release of Stephen Hubbard, a teacher who was accused of being a Ukrainian mercenary. Hubbard...

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Trump envoy Steve Witkoff praises Putin as ‘humanitarian’ as Ukraine peace talks hang in the balanceUS special envoy Steve Witkoff complimented Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian” during their meeting in St. Petersburg -- as President Trump desperately tries to get Russia back to the negotiating table to end the Ukraine war.

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Russia Frees American Stephen Hubbard After 4-Year DetentionStephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher from Michigan, is now on his way back to the United States after being detained in a Russian prison for more than four years. Russia accused him of fighting with the Ukrainian military, an allegation his family has always denied. NBC's Raf Sanchez reports for TODAY.

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Trump Says He Asked Putin to Release an American Jailed in RussiaThe president called for the return of Stephen James Hubbard, a Michigan teacher seized from his home in Ukraine months after Russia invaded that country.

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US citizen Stephen Hubbard freed by Russia as Trump envoy meets PutinThe 74-year-old former teacher, who was captured in 2022, has been released without any "swap" required, Trump says.

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Donald Trump’s Ukraine Envoy Faces Backlash For Calling Vladimir Putin ‘A Humanitarian’Steve Witkoff praised the Russian president for releasing a U.S. citizen, with GOP lawmakers furious at the characterization.

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