Putin frees jailed American teacher as Witkoff meets Kremlin on Ukraine peace

Vladimir Putin ordered the release of Stephen James Hubbard, an American teacher Russia had convicted of serving as a mercenary for Ukrainian forces, as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on Wednesday for Ukraine peace negotiations.

State media cited Putin as saying Hubbard, a 74-year-old Michigan native whom Washington maintained was wrongfully detained and sentenced to six years in prison, was already preparing to board a flight back to the United States.

Donald Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Tuesday that he had personally requested the release ahead of Witkoff's trip. Trump said he had been talking to Putin at length and had asked him "to release him," adding that they would see what happens.

Witkoff was met at Pulkovo International Airport by Putin's investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Jared Kushner, also involved in the negotiations, did not join after falling ill with flu; some outlets reported he may participate via video link.

A U.S. official told Reuters that Witkoff held "constructive" talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday, in a meeting that also included the leaders of Norway and Finland along with European and NATO representatives. The official said Ukraine brought forward new proposals and that participants made "meaningful progress" toward a coordinated approach to engaging Russia, covering security guarantees, a post-war economic plan and a broader European security architecture.

Witkoff's mandate in St. Petersburg is to "create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations," the U.S. official said.

The talks come after Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine that neither side said it had agreed to, and which collapsed immediately as Russian forces continued attacks on Ukraine's power grid. Ukraine had also accused the United States of withholding critical military support in recent days.