US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have concluded their latest meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an encounter that ended with Moscow releasing retired American teacher Stephen Hubbard from Russian custody. Witkoff met Putin on Wednesday at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg, while Kushner took part remotely.
The two envoys have played a leading role in conflict negotiations under US President Donald Trump. Their previous meeting with Putin took place during a trip to Moscow in September. The latest talks come as the Trump administration steps up efforts to secure a peace agreement that would end Russia’s war against Ukraine, a conflict now in its fifth year that began with a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia agrees to resume US-mediated Ukraine talks
Putin agreed on Wednesday to restart US-mediated peace negotiations with Ukraine, the first such round in months. A US official said Witkoff and Kushner proposed a “trilateral meeting at the technical level” focused on guaranteeing the security of both Ukraine and Russia once the fighting stops. Ukrainian officials accepted the proposal when they met American representatives on Tuesday in Oslo, Norway.
Also read: Russia open to resuming Ukraine peace talks with US
The last US-mediated talks were held in February, only days before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran. The Kremlin said the new round involving Ukraine and the United States may take place in Abu Dhabi and could begin as early as next month.
Hubbard’s release and Witkoff’s praise for Putin
The meeting opened with a goodwill gesture from Moscow: the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher who had been held in Russia for more than four years. He was arrested in 2022 and later sentenced to more than six years in prison after being accused of serving as a Ukrainian mercenary. Washington maintains that he was wrongfully detained.
Trump had made a direct personal appeal to Putin for Hubbard’s freedom. On social media on Wednesday, the president said Russia had not requested a prisoner swap “out of respect for” him. A US official said Trump had spoken with Hubbard by phone and repeated his “unwavering commitment” to bringing home all Americans wrongfully held abroad. Hubbard is returning to the United States, where he will be reunited with his family.
Witkoff came under mounting scrutiny after describing Putin as a “humanitarian” for his decision to free Hubbard. During Wednesday’s meeting, he told the Russian leader: “You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that. I commend you.”
Lawmakers condemn Witkoff’s remarks as administration defends him
The praise triggered backlash from both parties in Congress, as well as from human rights advocates who pointed to accusations of serious abuses committed under Putin’s leadership. Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican and member of Trump’s party, wrote “WTF, Steve?” on social media, spelling out the acronym as “What the f***?” He added that Witkoff should look up the meaning of “humanitarian”.
“What an embarrassing and outrageous thing to say,” Tillis said. He urged Witkoff to go back to Ukraine and ask the families of children allegedly kidnapped and killed by Putin’s forces whether they agreed that Putin was a humanitarian. Tillis’s Republican colleague John Cornyn responded to Witkoff’s comments by writing that Putin was a “stone cold killer”.
Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, also criticised the envoy and described Putin as a “war criminal”. Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, asked in what world Putin could be considered a humanitarian, citing alleged assassinations of political rivals and journalists, bombings of hospitals and a war that he said had intentionally killed tens of thousands of civilians.
Members of the administration nonetheless rallied behind Witkoff. Vice President JD Vance, speaking during a visit to his home state of Ohio, said Witkoff had “a job to get done” and suggested that the compliment to Putin had probably helped the negotiations. “I agree with Steve Witkoff saying something nice to a person who just released an American hostage,” Vance told reporters.
At a White House event on Wednesday, Trump described Witkoff’s wording as a “good saying” for “that particular purpose”, meaning the release of Hubbard. However, he stopped short of endorsing the characterisation. “But I wouldn’t say anything one way or the other,” the president said.
Kremlin confirms discussion of a possible Trump-Putin-Xi meeting
The Kremlin said that a possible meeting between Trump, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping was raised during Wednesday’s talks. Russian officials said that, if the gathering is confirmed, it could take place next month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “Given that all three heads of state may potentially take part in the summit in China, the subject of such a hypothetical meeting was indeed raised.” He added that no specific proposals or agreements had been discussed or put forward by anyone, either on the meeting itself or on its possible agenda and content.
The three leaders have never before held a dedicated trilateral meeting.
