US envoy praises Putin after securing release of American teacher from Russian prison

The US secured the release of American teacher Stephen Hubbard from Russian imprisonment in a deal President Donald Trump said he made directly with Vladimir Putin, requiring no concessions in return. Hubbard was returning home Wednesday after four years detained. Hubbard, a retired Michigan teacher in his 70s, was captured in 2022 after Russian forces took Izyum, Ukraine, and sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years for allegedly fighting as a mercenary. Trump waived upcoming sanctions, claiming they would have halted negotiations, while the US recently proposed buying Russian diesel. The release was finalized during US envoy Steve Witkoff's ninth meeting with Putin in St Petersburg, where he called Putin a "humanitarian." Following the talks, the Kremlin said Russia is prepared to resume trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the US as soon as next month.