Trump: Sanctions Would Halt Hubbard Release Talks — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Trump defended his Russian sanctions waiver, saying enforcement would have halted negotiations with Putin over Hubbard’s release.
- Stephen Hubbard, a retired schoolteacher arrested by Russian authorities when Russia invaded Ukraine, was released by Russia after Trump requested his freedom.
Why it matters: For Hubbard, the result was release from Russian detention. For Trump, the episode made the sanctions waiver directly consequential: his stated account was that enforcing the penalties would have stopped talks with Putin. The case links a broad Russia policy to one U.S. citizen’s freedom.
Ask SkimNews
