US President Donald Trump declined to give an unequivocal endorsement of Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian” on Wednesday, Oct. 21, suggesting the description could apply specifically to the Russian leader’s decision to release an American prisoner.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump responded to questions about his special envoy Steve Witkoff’s praise of Putin earlier that day.
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Trump suggested the characterization could be understood in the context of freeing Stephen Hubbard, whom he described as having expected to remain imprisoned for life.
“But I wouldn’t say anything one way or the other,” Trump added. He also said the US had given nothing in exchange for Hubbard’s release.
The answer stopped short of either broadly endorsing Witkoff’s assessment or rejecting it. Trump tied his response to the individual prisoner’s release, rather than offering a general judgment of Putin’s conduct.
Witkoff’s praise draws Republican anger
Witkoff made the remarks during a televised meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg, where the two discussed efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Thanking Putin for releasing Hubbard, the envoy compared the Russian president with Trump and called him a humanitarian.
The comments prompted sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, who pointed to Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians and the deportation of Ukrainian children.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis urged Witkoff to reconsider the description and speak to Ukrainian families whose children had been killed or taken to Russia.
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Texas Senator John Cornyn also rejected the characterization, describing Putin as a killer.
Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon called the episode embarrassing.
Vice President JD Vance defended Witkoff, arguing that thanking someone who had just released an American detainee was part of the envoy’s diplomatic work. He said Witkoff’s responsibility was to secure results, regardless of whether others agreed with the sentiment behind his words.
American teacher freed after years in detention
Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher, had been held since 2022 after Russian troops detained him in the Ukrainian city of Izyum.
Russian authorities accused him of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. His family and legal representatives disputed those allegations, and Washington designated him as wrongfully detained.
He was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison following a closed trial. Trump said he had asked Putin to release Hubbard during a recent telephone conversation.
Hubbard’s sister, Patricia Hubbard Fox, said her brother had believed he would die in prison. She described beatings and starvation during his detention and expressed relief after speaking with him following his release.
Wider criticism of Trump’s Russia policy
The controversy over Witkoff’s language comes amid Republican criticism of the administration’s broader approach to Moscow.
Utah Senator John Curtis warned in an opinion article published on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that sanctions relief, purchases of Russian diesel, and restrictions affecting Ukraine’s military capabilities were strengthening Putin’s position.
“Capitulating to an authoritarian dictator shows weakness and sets back the cause of freedom,” Curtis wrote.
The senator criticized Trump’s decision to suspend additional sanctions and tariffs, arguing that easing economic pressure would benefit Russia while its forces continued their invasion.
He also raised concerns about satellite communications restrictions affecting Ukrainian operations and interruptions in intelligence sharing used to warn of incoming ballistic missiles.
Drawing on his recent visit to Ukraine, Curtis argued that the country had become a strategic partner contributing battlefield innovations and combat intelligence to the US.
He called for continued support for Ukraine’s defense, stronger pressure on Russia’s war economy, and a clear message that invading a sovereign neighbor would not succeed.
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