The White House stated that no reciprocal exchange of prisoners was required for Hubbard’s release, distinguishing this instance from previous diplomatic swaps. Trump, who spoke at length with Putin the day prior to the release, had urged the Russian president to free Hubbard. Witkoff thanked Putin directly for the decision, telling him, “Because of you, he’s going home to his family.”
Hubbard was first imprisoned by Russia in 2022 and sentenced to nearly seven years in prison in a closed-door trial in 2024. Russian prosecutors accused him of joining the Ukrainian military after Moscow’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022 and fighting alongside Ukrainian forces until his capture two months later. The Biden administration had classified Hubbard as wrongfully detained. Hostage Aid Worldwide, an advocacy group, has described the charges as bogus. In an open letter to President Trump published in August, Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, praised the president while alleging that her brother endured “constant beatings, torture and starvation” while in detention.
Hubbard’s release coincides with Witkoff’s ongoing efforts to reach a settlement in the war in Ukraine, a goal for which his previous visits to Russia have been unsuccessful. The move occurs amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv, as the Trump administration has taken several steps favorable to Moscow. The release of Gilman in August, who was jailed on contested charges of assaulting a police officer while seriously ill, further underscores the shift in engagement between the two nations regarding detained Americans.
No independent verification of the conditions of Hubbard’s detention or the specific terms of his release beyond the statements provided by Witkoff and the White House has been released. The next expected development involves further diplomatic channels as Witkoff continues his mission to negotiate a resolution to the conflict, with the status of other detained individuals remaining an unresolved issue.
