Putin releases hostage to U.S., drawing praise from Trump administration
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting at the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday | Sputnik / Pool / via REUTERS
Oct 22, 2026
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian” for releasing a detained U.S. citizen, the latest White House move to curry favor with Russia in its efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The release also came with a new willingness by Putin to resume trilateral negotiations with the U.S. and Ukraine to end the war, now in its fifth year.
The extraordinary comment came from Trump’s special envoy for the Ukraine war, Steve Witkoff, who complimented Putin in Russia as he secured the release of Stephen Hubbard, 74, an American teacher convicted there four years ago of fighting for Ukraine.
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