White House envoy Steve Witkoff asked Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to resume direct peace talks involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. The request came during a meeting in St. Petersburg, where Witkoff presented an updated proposal to end the war. The timing follows President Donald Trump's agreement to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales, a move welcomed by Moscow that the White House hopes will encourage greater compromise from the Kremlin.
Before the meeting began, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old U.S. citizen who had been held in captivity for more than four years. Hubbard was seized by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine in April 2022. Putin announced the release at the start of his session with Witkoff, stating that Hubbard was at Pulkovo Airport and on his way back to his family. Putin noted that the U.S. was not required to provide anything in return for the release, describing it as an unprecedented situation for Russia. Trump confirmed the news on Truth Social, emphasizing that there was no "swap" involved and that the release was made out of respect for the U.S. president.
Witkoff arrived in Russia after holding talks in Oslo, Norway, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Oslo discussions included leaders from Norway and Finland, as well as representatives from France, the U.K., Germany, Poland, the European Union, and NATO. The focus of those talks was developing a unified proposal for a "framework agreement" to end the war. Zelensky stated on Tuesday that the next step should be a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin, and Trump, a format Russia has previously rejected.
During the St. Petersburg meeting, Witkoff told Putin he believed the Oslo talks were productive and that progress had been made. He expressed hope that the groundwork had been laid for a successful end to hostilities. Witkoff specifically asked Putin to consider resuming trilateral talks where representatives from all three nations could discuss next steps toward a settlement. He mentioned that these talks could include technical groups of specialists to handle detailed issues.
Witkoff stated that he had brought several documents outlining approaches to achieving a peaceful settlement. He asked Putin to review these documents after the meeting. In addition to discussing Ukraine, Putin told Witkoff he wanted to explore possible Russian mediation between the U.S. and Iran. Putin cited a special, trusting relationship with Iran built over decades and said Russia would be happy to help resolve the crisis if it could.
The meeting also touched on future diplomatic engagements. Putin told Witkoff he wants to discuss the possibility of meeting with Trump in China in mid-November.