Russia Frees US Citizen Steven Hubbard After Four Years, Envoy Thanks Putin as ‘Humanitarian’
US citizen Steven Hubbard has been released from Russian custody after four years of detention, a development that comes at a particularly volatile moment in relations between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow. The release was announced by US envoy Steve Witkoff, a key Trump administration figure who has been attempting to broker a settlement to the war in Ukraine. Witkoff personally thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the release, telling him, “Because of you, he’s going home to his family.” The envoy’s comments underscore the delicate diplomatic dance underway as the Trump administration seeks to balance its stated goal of ending the war with its efforts to secure the freedom of Americans held in Russia.nnHubbard’s case had been a quiet but persistent priority for his family and legal team. According to his lawyers, Hubbard had moved to Ukraine to be with a woman he had met, and he remained in the country after the relationship ended, living there when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. He was subsequently detained by Russian forces. His family had little contact with him during his imprisonment and have consistently maintained his innocence. The legal effort to free him was undertaken by the US-based law firm Boies Schiller Flexner and the Russian firm EPAM Law, which had previously represented Marc Fogel, the American teacher released from Russian custody last year. That same legal team worked for Hubbard’s release, highlighting the growing niche of legal expertise in navigating complex US-Russia detentions.nnThe timing of Hubbard’s release is significant. It occurred as the Washington-Kyiv relationship was being roiled by fresh tensions, even as the Trump administration has advanced policies that critics say aid Putin. Witkoff’s praise for Putin as a “humanitarian” is likely to be viewed with skepticism by those who note that as many as 10 other Americans, including dual nationals, remain in Russian custody, some with serious illnesses. The State Department continues to maintain a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Russia, warning US citizens of the risks of detention and harassment. The release also comes amid a debate over sanctions on Russia, with some claiming that “numerous people” who had called for sanctions to take effect as previously planned had “called to apologize to President Trump” after learning
Shimanta Das 
