U.S. Citizen Stephen Hubbard Released by Russia After 4 Years in Jail, and Trump Says 'No Swap'

TL;DR

Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen, has been released from Russian custody after being jailed for over four years.
The release was confirmed by President Trump, who stated it was a result of his direct request to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump asserted that no 'swap' was necessary for Hubbard's release, calling it an unprecedented situation for Russia.
The White House had recently decided to halt new sanctions against Russia, a decision Trump linked to Hubbard's release.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss the release, thanking Putin and calling him 'a humanitarian'.
Hubbard, 74, was accused by Russian authorities of manning a checkpoint for mercenaries and was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison.
The State Department had declared Hubbard wrongfully detained.
Hubbard's release follows previous releases of Americans from Russian custody, including Robert Gilman, Marc Fogel, Evan Gershkovich, and Paul Whelan.
The U.S. State Department has a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory for Russia due to the risk of wrongful detention.

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