Thread

History tells us that the road to peace is long and difficult, but its human dividends need not wait for a final agreement. Stephen Hubbard’s freedom is a dividend earned along the hard road to peace. Two Americans have now come home from Russia on humanitarian grounds in ten weeks. These are tangible results of sustained diplomacy. Humanitarian gestures build the trust that diplomacy runs on. We hope Stephen’s release will build further momentum toward bringing every American home and broader diplomatic progress. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/us/politics/rus...