US President Donald Trump has called "stupid" people who have called for him to impose new sanctions on Russia. In a statement to reporters broadcast by the White House, he said: "Stupid people wanted me to impose sanctions on Russia."
Trump has defended his decision not to impose new sanctions while negotiations are underway to release an American citizen. "The Russians are just laughing at the sanctions," he said, explaining why he believed that pressuring Moscow would not help in this particular case.
The US president pointed to the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retiree and former teacher from Michigan, who was released from a Russian prison on October 21, 2026. He was detained in Ukraine in 2022 and later convicted in Russia on charges of fighting as a mercenary. US authorities have called his detention unlawful.
"Can you imagine me asking Putin to release an American while at the same time imposing sanctions on Russia?" Trump asked. He said such an approach would appear contradictory and could end the talks.
Trump said he had personally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to release Hubbard and that no prisoner exchange was necessary. After the release, the US president linked his decision to suspend or postpone new sanctions against Moscow to negotiations for the return of the American.
Critics of Trump's decision questioned whether the waiver of sanctions was a concession to the Kremlin. The president rejected this assessment and insisted that his main goal was to return Hubbard to the United States.
Trump's statement comes amid an ongoing debate in Washington over whether sanctions are an effective tool for pressuring Moscow or hindering negotiations for the release of detained Americans.
Sources: apnews.com, cbsnews.com, abcnews.com