Putin releases American Stephen Hubbard from Russian prison

Russian President Vladimir Putin has freed another American, 74-year-old Michigan native Stephen Hubbard, from a Russian prison following a request from President Trump. Transcript JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: Russian President Vladimir Putin has freed another American from a Russian prison following a request from President Trump. Stephen Hubbard, who's a 74-year-old native of Michigan, had been serving a prison sentence in Russia after being convicted of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. His release came as White House Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Russia to discuss the latest U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine. NPR's Charles Maynes is on the line from Moscow. Hi there.CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.SUMMERS: Charles, if you could, just tell us more about Hubbard and how he ended up in a Russian prison.MAYNES: Yeah. You know, Hubbard is a former school teacher who was detained by Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine in 2022. He'd moved there after marrying a Ukrainian woman. And after his capture, he was later sentenced in a closed trial to nearly seven years in prison, as you know, for fighting on behalf of Ukraine while in his 70s. The U.S. formally designated him wrongfu...