US nearing deal with Russia to free multiple jailed Americans: Sources
The Trump administration is closing in on a deal with Moscow that would see multiple Americans released from detention in Russia, two U.S. officials and another source familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner have been leading the negotiations, which are said to be in the final stages, according to the sources.
They add that the talks have centered on freeing Stephen Hubbard, a 72-year-old retired teacher who is the only American held in Russia officially designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department, as well as several other U.S. citizens held by Moscow on what the administration said it believes are dubious charges.
However, officials caution that while the terms of the arrangement are coming into focus, nothing has been finalized and it’s still possible it won’t materialize or that its scope will change.
Asked about a potential deal to free Hubbard on Tuesday, Trump said he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about it "at length" and called for Hubbard's return to the U.S.
"I've been talking to President Putin about Mr. Hubbard. I've been talking to him at length. I've asked him to release him. Let's see what happens. OK, let's see what happens. I'd love to get him back. It's time. It's time to have Mr. Hubbard back," Trump said in the Oval Office.
News of the potential deal comes as Witkoff is expected to present Putin with a proposal for a partial ceasefire covering energy and food infrastructure, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Tuesday. Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a news briefing in Oslo, Norway, following talks with Witkoff.
On Monday, Trump spoke about his dealings with Russia, saying he was "trying to get a hostage that the country has been after for a long time," presumably referring to Hubbard.
"Let's see what happens," Trump said. "That'll be soon."
On Tuesday, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov was asked about a potential prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S.
"Dialogue on all these issues is ongoing through intelligence service channels," he said.
Ryabkov added that Hubbard's name was "certainly familiar," but said he had "nothing to report" on the matter.
The White House declined to comment on the matter.
It's not clear what Russia might receive in exchange for releasing U.S. citizens. However, Trump has made multiple policy decisions viewed as favorable to Moscow in recent days, including waiving newly imposed sanctions targeting Russian officials and oligarchs mandated by a bill Trump signed into law last month after it passed by wide margins in Congress. Trump has also increased pressure on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian energy sites.
There are currently at least eight American citizens and two dual U.S.-Russia nationals detained by Moscow: Hubbard, Gordon Black, Michael Leake, Robert Woodland, David Barnes, Daniel Schneider, Andre Khachatorrian, Chuck Zimmerman, Aleksandr Antonov and Eugene Spector.
Families of the incarcerated Americans in Russia have called for the State Department to extend more wrongful detention designations, with Leake's family renewing its request in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying Leake was "left behind" in the Aug. 1, 2024, prisoner trade.
ABC News' Catherine Bouvet contributed to this report.
