Ukraine war: Trump praises Putin's release of Americans

In St. Petersburg, US negotiator Witkoff speaks with Kremlin chief Putin about proposals for a solution to the Ukraine war. At the start, Moscow releases an American, to the delight of the US President.

Washington/St. Petersburg. US President Donald Trump has praised Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin's release of American Stephen Hubbard, who has been imprisoned for years. “No ‘exchange’ was required for this release,” Trump said on his social network Truth Social. The USA did not have to provide anything in return. Trump spoke of “an unprecedented situation for Russia.” Putin had recently released another American without - as is usual - demanding the release of a Russian in return.

Trump said he asked Putin to release Hubbard in their recent phone call. “Stephen is on his way home,” he explained. Putin had recently said at a meeting with Trump's negotiator Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg that Hubbard was at Pulkovo International Airport. Witkoff was supposed to fly back from there after the talks with Putin.

Hubbard was released for humanitarian reasons, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He was sentenced to long prison in 2024 because he is said to have fought as a mercenary alongside the Ukrainian armed forces against Russian troops. Witkoff thanked Putin for releasing the 75-year-old. Hubbard's family and the Americans are happy about it, he said.

Russia is considering new proposals for a peace solution

Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, negotiations between Putin and Witkoff continued on new proposals from the Ukrainians, Europeans and Americans to end the war. Peskov said that Russia would consider the proposals brought by Witkoff from his talks in Oslo.

At the same time, Putin's confidant emphasized again in an interview on Russian state television that it was up to the Ukrainian side to take the necessary steps for peace. Peskov referred to US President Trump, who recently expressed doubts about Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky's desire for peace. Peskov warned that the situation would only get worse for Ukraine if it did not give in.

Russia has long demanded that Ukraine completely withdraw from the Donetsk region as a condition for a ceasefire. Kyiv still controls strategically important cities there. Zelensky had therefore always categorically rejected such a gift to Putin, which would amount to a surrender for Kiev.