Trump says US gave Russia nothing to free American, but reality is more complicated
Summary
President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. did not give anything in return for the release of American Stephen Hubbard from Russia. However, the U.S. waived new Russia-related sanctions during negotiations, which some see as a concession to Russia.Key Facts
- Stephen Hubbard, a retired U.S. teacher, was detained in Russia on mercenary charges but was later declared wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Hubbard’s release during a meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.
- Steve Witkoff publicly called Putin a “humanitarian” after Hubbard’s release.
- President Trump waived some new sanctions against Russia to avoid disrupting negotiations for Hubbard’s release.
- Trump said previous administrations gave money and other things in hostage negotiations, but his administration did not.
- Some experts worry that waiving sanctions might encourage Russia to detain more Americans to gain political benefits.
- The article references a 2023 deal where the Biden administration released Iranian funds to free American detainees, showing complexities in hostage negotiations.
- Critics say Russia uses hostage-taking to pressure the U.S. politically.
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