Witkoff Meets Putin With New Ukraine Peace Proposal After Zelenskyy Talks

US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday, October 21, carrying fresh proposals to end the Russia-Ukraine war after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in Norway. The meeting also saw Moscow release Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American retired schoolteacher who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022.

Witkoff urged Putin to consider resuming trilateral peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, saying discussions in Oslo had been productive and had made progress towards ending hostilities.

“We have brought several documents outlining approaches to achieving a peaceful settlement in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict,” Witkoff told Putin, asking the Russian president to review the proposals. He also suggested that technical teams could discuss the details of a possible agreement.

Putin thanked US President Donald Trump and Witkoff for their efforts to end the war. However, the meeting did not produce a confirmed breakthrough or an agreement to resume formal negotiations.

The discussions followed Witkoff's meeting with Zelenskyy in Oslo on Tuesday, attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European and NATO representatives. A US official described the talks as constructive, saying Ukraine had presented new ideas towards a coordinated diplomatic approach.

The discussions focused on a potential peace framework, including security guarantees for Ukraine, post-war economic recovery and Europe's broader security arrangements. Zelenskyy has called for a meeting involving himself, Trump and Putin, arguing that Ukraine must be directly involved in decisions concerning its future.

A significant development during Witkoff's meeting with Putin was the release of Hubbard, who had been serving a prison sentence of six years and 10 months following a conviction on mercenary activity charges. Russian authorities alleged that he had fought for Ukraine, but his lawyer and family disputed the allegations. Trump said Washington had not been required to offer anything in exchange for his release.

Putin also expressed interest in restoring economic cooperation with the United States, including increased Russian fertiliser supplies to the American market. He offered to help Trump address tensions with Iran, citing Moscow's longstanding relationship with Tehran, and raised the possibility of a meeting with Trump in China in mid-November. No such meeting has been confirmed.

The diplomatic push comes amid strained US-Ukraine relations. Trump has pressed Kyiv to reach a settlement, while Moscow has welcomed Washington's recent decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports. Zelenskyy said US intelligence sharing on warnings of Russian missile attacks had resumed, although concerns remained over restrictions affecting satellite communications used by Ukraine's military.