Washington DC, Oct. 21 -- US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (local time) that he made a direct personal appeal made during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning the conflict in Ukraine which successfully secured the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American citizen held captive by Russian forces since his detention in Kyiv.

Hubbard, a retired English educator in his seventies, received a nearly seven-year custodial sentence during a closed trial conducted in October 2024 concerning allegations of undertaking "mercenary work" supporting Ukraine, an accusation he contests.

In an Oval Office roundtable, Trump outlined how the breakthrough was reached during broader discussions aimed at brokering an end to the war,...