The government of Russia has reportedly agreed to release an American citizen who was previously imprisoned on disputed allegations of fighting on behalf of Ukraine. Russian authorities stated that Stephen Hubbard has already been transported to Pulkovo Airport following talks between President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.

Hubbard, a native of Michigan, was 72 years old when a Russian court handed down a sentence of nearly seven years in a penal colony in 2024. Prosecutors in the case had alleged that he served within a defense unit located in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum prior to being captured by Russian forces two years earlier, a claim that faced intense skepticism from observers.

Officials within the US regime had previously categorized Hubbard's imprisonment as "wrongfully detained." Meanwhile, American leader Donald Trump supposedly told reporters on Tuesday that he had directly raised the case with Putin, urging them to "watch what happens." The White House has faced ongoing scrutiny as analysts question the broader geopolitical implications of these sudden diplomatic maneuvers.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk