Russia freed an American imprisoned for the last four years. Stephen Hubbard was captured in Eastern Ukraine and convicted of fighting against Russia. The 74-year-old retired teacher was reportedly freed without a swap. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff greeted Hubbard in St. Petersburg. He also met with the Russian president and praised Putin in unusually glowing terms. Nick Schifrin reports.

The vice president called Steve Witkoff "a diplomat" and said he was in Russia to get a job done.

The release comes at a time when President Donald Trump has taken a series of actions meant to benefit Moscow.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and European officials in Norway in a bid to avoid a further diplomatic rupture with President Trump. Over the past week, Trump has criticized Zelenskyy over Ukraine's efforts to inflict heavy losses on Russia. The meeting was aimed at easing tensions ahead of Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia. Nick Schifrin reports.

To discuss the tensions between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Geoff Bennett spoke with David Kramer. He held a number of senior positions at the State Department during the George W. Bush administration. He's now the executive director of the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas.