--- title: "Trump Defends Lifting Sanctions Against Russia Following Hubbard Release" description: "US President Donald Trump defended his decision to lift sanctions against Russia, connecting it to the release of American Stephen Hubbard from a Russian colony." date: 2026-10-22T15:28:44.979Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-defends-lifting-sanctions-russia tags: [donald-trump, russia-sanctions, stephen-hubbard, darlene-graham, white-house] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Trump Defends Lifting Sanctions Against Russia Following Hubbard Release ![US President Donald Trump speaking during a press conference](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/22/tramp-vysadilsya-ob-otmene-sanktsiy-protiv-rossii/tramp-vysadilsya-ob-otmene-sanktsiy-protiv-rossii-1.webp) ## Key Points - Donald Trump is confident in the correctness of lifting sanctions against Russia. - Stephen Hubbard returned to the US after being released at Trump's request. - Senator Darlene Graham advocated for maintaining pressure on Russia. - Hubbard had been imprisoned in Russia since the spring of 2022. US President Donald Trump has expressed full confidence in his decision to lift the so-called hellish sanctions against Russia, linking the move to the return of American citizen Stephen Hubbard from a Russian penal colony. The statement by the American leader was published on the social network X, referencing an interview with the head of state. ### Release of the American Citizen and White House Stance During a conversation with journalists, the American leader commented on a discussion with Senator Darlene Graham, whose late brother previously initiated a bill imposing strict restrictive measures against Russia and Iran. According to Trump, the senator shares his point of view regarding the abandonment of sanctions pressure for the sake of saving a compatriot. The president emphasized that Hubbard, who spent several years in captivity, has just returned to his homeland in the United States. US citizen Stephen Hubbard was detained by Russian military personnel in the spring of 2022 and subsequently sentenced by the Moscow City Court to prison on charges of participating in combat operations. The Russian side decided to release the American on October 20 at the personal request of Donald Trump, paving the way for Washington's diplomatic maneuvers. ### Disagreements in US Domestic Politics Despite the head of state's claims of universal approval, skepticism remains within the American establishment regarding the lifting of restrictive measures. Earlier, Senator Darlene Graham publicly stated the need to continue economic pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, noting a lack of trust in the Russian leadership. Her late brother's bill, known as the hellish sanctions package, was viewed by lawmakers as a key instrument of foreign policy leverage. In addition to sanctions issues, US lawmakers continue to actively raise other agenda items. Specifically, a group of congressmen recently appealed to the US administration urging them to influence the provision of full access to Starlink satellite communication terminals for Ukraine. ### Significance of Diplomatic Exchange and Future Sanctions Policy The US administration's decision to abandon tough sanctions in exchange for the release of a citizen demonstrates the priority of humanitarian issues for the current White House leadership in certain negotiation tracks. This precedent shows the executive branch's willingness to step back from previously planned severe restrictive measures for the sake of returning Americans from foreign captivities. Nevertheless, balancing between humanitarian tasks and maintaining the sanctions regime against Russia remains a subject of sharp debate within the Washington establishment. Future developments will show how flexible US sanctions policy turns out to be amid ongoing geopolitical confrontation and demands from lawmakers. ## Accounts differ ### Assessment of the decision to lift sanctions against Russia - **Donald Trump:** Senator Darlene Graham agrees with the decision not to impose sanctions against Russia in order to secure the return of American Stephen Hubbard ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vsi-zgodni-rishennyam-tramp-vislovivsya-skasuvannya-1792682739.html)) - **Darlene Graham:** Would choose to pressure Russia to stop the war and lower gas prices because she does not trust the Russian leadership ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vsi-zgodni-rishennyam-tramp-vislovivsya-skasuvannya-1792682739.html)) *Where they agree:* Discussion of the hellish sanctions bill and the release of Stephen Hubbard was mentioned in statements by Trump and Senator Graham. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Все согласны с решением": Трамп высказался об отмене "адских санкций" против РФ](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vsi-zgodni-rishennyam-tramp-vislovivsya-skasuvannya-1792682739.html) - The primary RBC-Ukraine source outlines Trump's statements and Senator Darlene Graham's counter-position. ## FAQ ### Why did Trump lift sanctions against Russia? The US President linked the decision to the need to return American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was being held in a Russian penal colony. ### Who is Stephen Hubbard? He is a US citizen captured in the spring of 2022 and sentenced in Russia, who was released on October 20 at the personal request of Donald Trump. ### How did the US react to the lifting of sanctions? Senator Darlene Graham disagreed with the president's decision, stating the need for pressure on Russia and expressing distrust of its leadership.