US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, 22 October 2025 announced that Russia had released detained American citizen Stephen Hubbard following a personal request Trump made to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call — and insisted that Washington had conceded nothing to secure the release. The disclosure came during a question session at the White House following a roundtable on cybercrime and scams.

How the Release Happened

'I was talking to Vladimir Putin about settling his war with Ukraine, which I think we're getting closer to, by the way, maybe now, the closest we've been. But I mentioned, could you let Stephen Hubbard out, please? And he agreed to do it,' Trump told reporters. Trump added that Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, had met Hubbard in Russia and was accompanying him on a flight back along with his family.

'I spoke to him this morning. He is the happiest man around,' Trump said, noting that Hubbard's family 'didn't think he'd come out for 20, 25 years.' The release, framed by Witkoff as humanitarian in nature, draws attention to the quiet diplomatic back-channel Trump has maintained with Moscow even as the Ukraine conflict drags on.

Trump's 'Nothing in Exchange' Claim

'We gave nothing in exchange, which is very rare. We never give anything in exchange,' Trump said. 'Once you give, you'll end up quadrupling the problem.' The assertion is notable given that prior high-profile prisoner swaps — including those involving WNBA star Brittney Griner in 2022 — involved the release of Russian nationals held in US custody. Trump did not elaborate on what, if any, assurances were communicated during the call.

He also pushed back against critics who had reportedly urged tougher measures against Moscow. 'If we did what these foolish people wanted me to do, he wouldn't be coming out right now. He'd be in there for another 20 years,' Trump said. 'The last thing I want to do is upset an apple cart where we're getting close to settling a war.' He did not specify what actions those critics had sought.

Remarks on Iran and the Role of Russia and China

Trump used the briefing to deliver a sweeping assessment of Iran's weakened position. 'We've taken Iran down to levels that they've never seen before. They're very low. Their military is completely gone,' he said, adding that Iran's economy was devastated and that its leadership had been decimated across multiple generations. He cited an inflation rate of 301 per cent in Iran 'as of this morning.'

Trump notably praised both Russia and China for what he described as limited involvement in the Iran conflict. 'A very important element is the fact that Russia and China have not participated, or participated in a much smaller way than they could have,' he said. He referenced Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the US a week prior and suggested Beijing, like Moscow, preferred to see conflicts resolved diplomatically. 'The fact is both of them would like to see the war settled,' Trump said, though he did not clarify which conflict he was referring to in that specific remark, nor what role China was playing.

Significance and What Comes Next

The Hubbard release is the latest in a series of prisoner-related diplomacy moves under Trump, who has used personal rapport with foreign leaders as a lever for such outcomes. This comes amid an active — if opaque — US effort to broker a Ukraine ceasefire, with Trump claiming the talks are at their closest point yet. Observers will watch whether the Hubbard release signals a broader thaw in US-Russia relations, or remains an isolated goodwill gesture with no structural impact on the war's trajectory.