US President Donald Trump has said he asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release 73-year-old American citizen Stephen Hubbard convicted in Russia for participating in combat operations on the Ukrainian side.

Axar.az reports, citing TASS, that Trump made the remarks to journalists at the White House.

"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," he said. "I'd love to get him back. It's time to have Mr. Hubbard back."

It should be noted that Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen, was found guilty of fighting alongside the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On October 7, 2024, the Moscow City Court sentenced him to six years and 10 months in a medium-security penal colony.