Stephen Hubbard, 74, a retired Michigan teacher, said on Friday that he only believed he would be freed when he was given new clothes and led to the prison exit, in his first public remarks since his release.

He said he had been told many times that he would be released but never trusted what he heard. Trump, who hosted him in the Oval Office, said he had asked Vladimir Putin to free Hubbard and that the United States did not have to release anyone in return. Hubbard was held for more than four years on charges that he fought as a mercenary in Ukraine; his legal team denies the accusations and says he was not involved in any military activity. Putin decided to release him as a gesture of goodwill, according to TASS.