ir Putin during a phone call last week to free Stephen Hubbard, and that, unlike previous releases, his had not required the U.S. to give up anyone in return.

 Welcome home, Stephen, it's great to have you back,  Trump said.

Witkoff, a key Trump administration figure who has tried without success to steer Russia and Ukraine toward a settlement to end a war that will hit the five-year mark in February 2027, thanked Putin for releasing Hubbard, telling him,  Because of you, he's going home to his family. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media on Wednesday that Hubbard's release was  raised by the American side for a certain time,  and Putin decided to free the man out of  humanitarian considerations. 

US talks with Russia

Meanwhile:

Witkoff is also holding talks with Putin about Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and Trump is pushing Kyiv to make a deal that stops the fighting.