Russia on Wednesday released an American man who was held for four years on what the State Department called fabricated charges that he was a Ukrainian mercenary. The release came after President Trump made a direct appeal to President Vladimir V. Putin to let the 74-year-old teacher, Stephen James Hubbard, return to the United States.

Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired school teacher, had spent more than four years in prison on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine.

ST PETERSBURG, ⁠Oct ⁠21 (Reuters) - Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin ​proposed meeting US ‌President Donald Trump ‌in ⁠China ⁠as he welcomed Trump's envoy Steve ​Witkoff at talks in St ​Petersburg on Wednesday, Russian ⁠state TV ⁠said.

Stephen Hubbard has been taken to Pulkovo Airport, Putin said during talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff.

Vladimir Putin agreed “in principle” to enter American-brokered peace negotiations next month, after he met Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy, in St Petersburg. Ukraine’s government has not said if it will take part.

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired US schoolteacher in its custody since 2022, from prison on Wednesday and took him to St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport to fly back to the United States.

It should come as no surprise that Putin wants to discuss an end to war in Ukraine, but only with Xi and Trump.

Never in 250 years has the United States so openly supported a murderous dictator’s aggression against a neighbor.