Symbolic imageTrilateral Ukraine talks eyed for November as Witkoff's Putin remark angers allies
Russia says it will resume talks with the US and Ukraine, possibly in Abu Dhabi, after Putin freed an American prisoner.
Putin announced the release of Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen jailed on mercenary charges, when he met US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday, 21 October. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said talks could start in mid-November, after the US midterms, but found little useful in Witkoff's new approaches. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov named Abu Dhabi as a possible venue. Zelensky expects a meeting by early November and says Kyiv backs any ceasefire; Putin said talks should secure both countries after final peace agreements, not a pause in fighting.
Backlash over 'humanitarian'
Witkoff told Putin, "You are a humanitarian also, sir." US lawmakers, Republicans among them, condemned the remark, while Trump and Vance defended the envoy. Downing Street said it does not recognise the characterisation and cited Putin's killing of thousands.
EU seeks a seat
European governments want a bigger say and prefer talks to begin at technical level, the Financial Times reports. Politico reports that Finnish President Alexander Stubb is among candidates to lead for the EU.
Other opinions
TASS foregrounds Putin's claim that Russians and Ukrainians are genetically one people, while Western outlets focus on the Witkoff backlash.