International
Russia frees American teacher Stephen Hubbard as Trump pushes Ukraine peace deal
Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired Michigan schoolteacher detained since 2022 on mercenary charges he denies, was released Wednesday as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. The release signals the Trump administration's intensified diplomatic pressure on both sides to end the war, though it raises questions about what concessions Washington may offer Russia.
21 Oct 2026