CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner, reported that Hubbard had been in poor health and was expected to be flown to Texas for treatment.
Witkoff gave praise to Putin for releasing Hubbard, saying: “You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian – you are a humanitarian also sir, and I salute that. I commend you.”
His comments sparked a backlash from lawmakers in the Republican party, with Representative Don Bacon posting on social media that it was “another embarrassment”. Senator John Cornyn said Putin “is a stone cold killer”.
In response to a question from the BBC about the backlash, Vice President JD Vance said Witkoff’s “job is to go over there and get a job done”.
“I care much less about what Steve said than about the fact that he is bringing an American hostage home to his family,” he said during a press conference in Ohio on Wednesday.
Hubbard was later seen thanking Witkoff as they met separately. Putin’s financial adviser Kirill Dmitriev was also present.
Writing on social media after Russian state media reported the release, Trump said it had followed a request he “made directly” to Putin last week.
In the past, detained Americans have primarily been released from Russia through prisoner swaps.
Trump also appeared to defend his recent decision to suspend sanctions on Russia two days before they were due to come into force, writing that “if sanctions would have been placed”, negotiations for Hubbard’s release “would have come to a complete and total halt”.
The US state department had previously classified Hubbard, from Michigan, as “wrongfully detained” and Trump on Tuesday had suggested that his release may be imminent.
“Watch what happens,” Trump told reporters, “we have been focused on Hubbard”.
The state department said in a statement that the release was “a welcome step that we hope leads to the release of all Americans unjustly held in Russia”. It also said that “there are currently no Americans determined to be wrongfully detained in Russia”.
