US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to discuss proposals for ending the war in Ukraine and advancing broader negotiations, Russian state media TASS reported.
Kyiv maintains that any settlement must protect Ukraine against another invasion and cannot require surrendering territory.
Moscow, meanwhile, has demanded that Ukraine relinquish the entire Donbas region, reduce its military and abandon aspirations to join NATO. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cautioned that Moscow would not make political concessions.
Witkoff urged Putin to consider renewed three-way negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Discussions also covered economic cooperation and fertilizer exports. Russia announced the release of American detainee Stephen Hubbard, 74, who had been held for more than four years.
Related Tweet:
❗️ Putin meets Trump envoy Steve Witkoff at St. Petersburg's Constantine Palace Peace talks are starting now https://t.co/uGwexSpvNK
— RT (@RT_com) October 21, 2026
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