According to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Stephen Hubbard, a 74 year old U.S. citizen living in Ukraine, who was taken from his home by Russian soldiers when Izium, Ukraine fell, was released by Russia and is on his way home. Per the president, nothing was given to Russia by the U.S. in order to secure his release, but minutes later the president claimed that the sanctions waivers given to Russia were implemented to ensure Hubbard’s release, directly contradicting his prior statements.
Analyst Comment:
It should be noted that, despite President Trump’s statements to the contrary, it’s unlikely that Hubbard’s release was the driver for the implementation of sanctions waivers, instead being the administration’s wider efforts to alleviate the oil and gas markets from the conflict in the Middle East