Special envoy of the United States Steve Witkoff praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a face-to-face meeting in St Petersburg, calling him a "humanitarian". Footage was published on Wednesday by Russian state television and shared on social media.
Witkoff addressed Putin, saying: "You often talk about how my president, President Trump, is a humanitarian. And you are a humanitarian, sir, and for that I give you credit, I praise you and I thank you again". He also praised Putin for the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard, as well as for the agreement allowing the continuation of Russian diesel exports to the US.
Hubbard is a 74-year-old retired American teacher who spent more than four years in Russian captivity. He was captured in April 2022 in Izium, Ukraine, which was then occupied by Russian forces, and Russian authorities accused him of joining the Ukrainian territorial defence and participating in fighting against Russia. A Moscow court sentenced him in 2024 to six years and ten months in prison, while his family and US lawyer disputed the charges, describing him as a pacifist who had never possessed a weapon. The US State Department declared him unjustly detained. Trump announced that he had personally requested his release from Putin last week, emphasising that Russia did not receive any prisoners in return. Putin responded that Hubbard was already at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg, from where he was expected to travel to the US.
During the meeting, Witkoff also praised the recent agreement between Washington and Moscow on Russian diesel exports. "Your decision to remove export restrictions on Russian diesel, not only for the US but for the rest of the world, amid an economic shock, was truly significant", he said, adding that Trump was extremely grateful for this. Putin announced that the first shipment of Russian diesel should head to the US within the next few days. The US administration had previously eased some sanctions on Russia, which triggered sharp reactions from Ukraine.
Witkoff arrived in Russia from Oslo, where the previous day he had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. He told Putin that he had brought new proposals for a possible peace agreement. "We brought some documents. These are actually ideas for a sort of peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. You can review them when you have time", he said, expressing hope that Putin would agree to continue trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the US. Witkoff is expected to propose trilateral talks between the two leaders and US President Donald Trump. During the meeting, Putin suggested the possibility of a new meeting with Trump in China and discussions on restoring economic cooperation between the two states.
Witkoff's visit is the latest US attempt to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table, four and a half years after the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine. The meeting comes after a series of Trump's moves that have caused concern in Kyiv. In addition to easing sanctions on Russia, the US president has sharply criticised Zelensky in recent days and called for a change in Ukrainian leadership. Ukrainian authorities accused Washington of restricting the sharing of intelligence data on Russian attacks, and problems arose with access to the Starshield military satellite system. Zelensky confirmed yesterday that the United States had resumed providing warnings about Russian missile attacks after the talks in Oslo.
Despite new diplomatic contacts, there are no signs yet that Putin is willing to abandon key territorial demands. Russia continues to demand full control over Ukraine's Donetsk region, and attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure continue. Russian attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv continued overnight, killing three people, local mayors reported. Russian forces continue to bomb energy infrastructure across the country ahead of winter.
Witkoff called Putin a humanitarian just two days after Russian forces attacked a park in Nova Vodolaha in Kharkiv region with a drone, killing six civilians, including one-year-old Angelina and an 11-year-old girl. Angelina died in her pram, and her mother Inna later died in hospital. Another 15 people were injured in the attack, including seven children.
According to United Nations data, from the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 to the end of September 2026, the deaths of at least 17,605 civilians have been confirmed, and the actual number of victims is likely significantly higher. In just the first nine months of this year, at least 2,570 civilians were killed, and more than 15,200 were injured. The UN warns that the number of civilian casualties this year has increased significantly due to intensified Russian attacks, particularly with missiles and drones. According to UN data, 328 civilians were killed in Putin's attacks on Ukraine in September alone. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 for the forced transfer of children to Russia after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
