President Donald Trump announced on the South Lawn on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, that Russia had released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher held since April 2022 and sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison on mercenary charges he denied. The United States had designated Hubbard wrongfully detained.
“You have a man that’s beautifully flying from Russia to wherever he’s landing in the United States that I got out because I had a very good and very fast negotiation with President Putin,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House.
The State Department said the Russian government made a unilateral decision to release Hubbard, that his release was not part of an exchange, and that no concessions were provided. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release at the start of talks in St. Petersburg with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump also said the United States is “maybe close to a deal” on Ukraine and that he would not put new sanctions on Russia while delicate negotiations are under way. According to the Kremlin, Putin agreed in principle to resume three-way talks around November 10. Reuters reports that no ceasefire has been agreed, that major disagreements remain over territory and NATO membership, and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects ceding the Donbas.
Video: The White House (public domain), October 21, 2026. Related coverage: https://zarknews.com/putin-agrees-in-principle-resume-trilateral-ukraine-talks-november/
