Putin frees American Stephen Hubbard during meeting with Trump's envoy
Big news on the international front: Russian President Vladimir Putin has released Stephen Hubbard, an American who had spent more than four years in a Russian prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
The release happened as he met Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St. Petersburg, a move many see as Russia's latest calculated move to bring Trump further into line with Putin's position on Ukraine and give Trump a diplomatic victory ahead of the midterm elections.
Putin freed Hubbard at Trump's request
Putin made the call to free Hubbard at Trump's request, and Trump quickly shared his excitement online, noting that "The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return - an unprecedented situation for Russia ... There was no 'swap' necessary for this release."
While this release is being framed as Moscow's latest calculated move to bring Trump further into line with Putin's position on Ukraine, while offering the US president a diplomatic victory ahead of the midterm elections, things between Washington and Kyiv are still tense, especially with ongoing Ukraine peace talks not making much progress.
It is a small step forward for diplomacy, but the bigger conflict remains unresolved.