r/news • u/AudibleNod • 12h ago
Detained American Stephen Hubbard released by Russia as Witkoff meets Putin
https://abcnews.com/International/witkoff-arrives-st-petersburg-putin-talks-kremlin-aide/story?id=13743810637
u/evilleppy87 9h ago
The U.S. "was not required to give anything in return -- an unprecedented situation for Russia," Trump added. "There was no 'swap' necessary for this release."
Except slowing Starshield, a stop to sharing info with Ukraine, easing of sanctions, bypassing the toothless Graham act and purchasing Russian gas, possibly allowing Russian data centers in the US, and what I can only assume was Trump gargling Putin's tiny limp dick and shriveled balls.
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u/GarmaCyro 1h ago
Withholding rockets destined to Ukraine. Rockets that allies has already paid for.
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u/StillLooksAtRocks 12h ago
This guy went through some horrific shit that he didnt deserve, but I cant help wonder what "favors" we will owe Russia for a man that left the country 40 something years ago and bounced through multiple families and countries for most of his life. He didn't care about being a US citizen and now his return is being treated a some diplomatic win.
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u/SocomPS2 11h ago
We’ve already lifted diesel sanctions for Russia. This past week the US/Elon degraded Starlink (Starshield) which allowed ballistic missiles to hit Ukraine and without Starshield that disrupted Ukraine’s military operations.
The US this past week has reportedly drastically limited intel sharing as well.
And Trump continues to use Russian propaganda. This week he’s said Zelensky doesn’t care and wants the war to continue because of all the money and aid they’re getting. He said that Russian continues to win terrority. Which is just factually incorrect but makes Russia look good.
So Trump has already started repayment.
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u/StillLooksAtRocks 11h ago
100% correct. I tried to avoid connecting these points because the offical line of shit the administration feeds the media is that Russia did this for nothing in return. Didn't want someone to pull the "well actually this wasn't related" bs.
If I were being more frank with my comment. "We threw our national dignity (if any was left) along with an entire country under the bus and the consolation prize we get in return is a man who couldn't even demonstrate loyalty to his own family."
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u/Mrjlawrence 12h ago
Because of you, he's going home to his family," Witkoff added, describing Putin as "a humanitarian."
I wonder if Stephen thinks Putin is a humanitarian
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u/Interesting-Risk6446 11h ago
Russia got nothing in return? Hmmm. Trump lifted sanctions and basically accused Ukraine of invading Russia.
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u/jpiro 12h ago
Hey look, a shiny object!
Let's please remember that this douche wasn't a hero, he was a paid mercenary who got caught. I thought Trump didn't like soldiers who got caught?
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u/rockmasterflex 12h ago
Correction: “Trump doesn’t like soldiers” is a complete sentence
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u/Elberik 9h ago
Trump loves soldiers only if they're winners. The second soldiers get captured or die, they become losers. And Trump wants nothing to do with losers.
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u/rockmasterflex 7h ago
He doesn’t love them if they win either. If you love soldiers you expand their benefits, you treat their illnesses and injuries, and you don’t keep them deployed in bullshit wars for your own enrichment
He HATES soliders as much as a CEO hates their employees.
He sees soldiers as nothing but tools to enable his income and ego to get larger.
Why conservatives support that is mind boggling to me.
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u/Sharlach 11h ago
Volunteers in Ukraine's foreign legion are not "mercenaries". That's Russian framing and complete nonsense. This guy had been living in Ukraine and volunteered when the invasion began. He was not a mercenary.
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u/Jemnite 8h ago
Regardless as a POW captured fighting for Ukraine, his release (or lack of thereof) was Ukraine's responsibility. The United States should not step in to protect or rescue individuals who are captured fighting for foreign militaries. (Though it should be noted that him fighting for the ZSU is legal under us law)
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u/Sharlach 8h ago
What a wildly ignorant thing to say. Ukraine has been negotiating nonstop for the release of all POW's in Russian captivity, but Moscow likes to play political games with them and withhold specific people for maximum leverage, such as this guy right here. Nobody asked for Trump's help on this and they made it worse for future American POW's by engaging in this. Stabbed Ukraine in the back and made it more likely that Russia will use Americans as hostages in the future, good job Trump 👍
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u/Rogue_AI_Construct 12h ago
So...what did Trump promise Putin in order for this to happen? How much more unsecure did Trump make our country by getting him out?
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u/Gobblewicket 11h ago
Probably the slow withdrawal of Starlink, public shaming of Zelensky, relief of sanctions. The shit Trumps been doing already.
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u/Burgoonius 8h ago
I have a crazy theory. Trump is doing all of this kowtowing to Putin so that when he eventually gets investigated in 2028 he has somewhere to go hide. He will help Putin take Ukraine and then Putin will take him in.
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u/WanderersEndgame 12h ago
Part of a cozy deal that included oil, Starlink crippling Ukraine's defenses, and Trump again publicly denouncing Zelenskyy.
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u/Shtankins01 8h ago
But not a peep on the tens of thousands of Ukrainian children that Russia has kidnapped
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u/ciopobbi 9h ago
You mean Russia, our great friend and ally who imprisons US citizens without justification? Exactly how many Americans are being held by Ukraine right now?
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u/AdhesivenessFun2060 11h ago
Didn't we buy a ton of russian oil and aren't we trying to ti get europe to do so? Thats the payment.
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u/TSHRED56 11h ago
Clip is recent. Also.. September 5, 2026 Witkoff told Putin,
"We were sitting outside just now, me, Jared [Kushner], Kirill [Dmitriev], Yuri [Ushakov], and we were talking about, when we retire, we will have all these incredible stories and memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all."
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u/Entropy_dealer 12h ago
This smells a lot like Reagan's Contra with Iran... boy USA, some of your administrations are really pathetic.
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u/MegaFrosASS 12h ago
“Putin, I’m about to get absolutely dog-walked in this election, can you make this gesture so that I’ll be able to keep supporting your mass slaughter of civilians?”
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u/LunchBoxMercenary 12h ago
Didn’t Trump say we lifted sanctions as part of negotiations? How can he say we didn’t give anything for this?
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u/guydoestuff 11h ago
8 billion bribe to farmers, money to kidney disease research, now this. Man is trying to do good and buy votes. His cult and plenty of morons will buy it.
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u/UpvoteForPancakes 12h ago
At the low, low price of selling Ukraine down the river. Trump will claim he’s a great negotiator and got him back for free.
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u/-----iMartijn----- 6h ago
https://x.com/AFP/status/1847305930569867264/video/1
Poor guy was tortured for four years...
Humanitarian as witkoff calls it.
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u/MrMeowPantz 4h ago
What was a 70 year old American doing in Russia? Why did we spend/give what we did to get him out? I’m not sure how his mistake in going to Russia is worth whatever Trump bent over for.
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u/AudibleNod 12h ago
National average gas price for this week is $4.26/gal. A week before the illegal war prices were $2.92/gal.