Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, is free after more than four years in Russian custody. Russia had accused him of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, a charge his son says has no evidence behind it. His release was announced on Wednesday just as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff sat down with Vladimir Putin for talks in St. Petersburg. Trump says he asked Putin for the release directly, and Witkoff said it was not part of any exchange. Hubbard has since flown back to the United States.

Trump says his decision to hold off on new sanctions against Russia made the difference, and he claims that if his critics had gotten their way, Hubbard would have stayed locked up for another 20 years. That 20-year figure is Trump's own claim and cannot be verified. He has also said Russia asked for nothing in return, while the Kremlin said Putin acted on humanitarian grounds. Critics argue that Trump's recent moves, including waiving some sanctions on Moscow, benefit Russia while the war in Ukraine continues. The big question now is whether this goodwill leads to a real breakthrough in the Ukraine peace talks or just a quiet win for Moscow.