Russia ready to resume talks with Ukraine and US, releases American detainee
Russia signals willingness to restart trilateral talks and frees Stephen Hubbard amid diplomatic talks with US envoy.
Key facts
- Putin told US envoy Steve Witkoff he is 'in principle' ready to resume talks with Ukraine and the US, according to the BBC.
- A new round could be held around 10 November in Abu Dhabi, according to Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov, as reported by the BBC and France 24.
- Russian forces released Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen charged as a mercenary, during the same meeting, according to Deutsche Welle.
- Trump claimed he requested Hubbard’s release directly from Putin and that no swap was required, according to a post on Truth Social reported by Deutsche Welle.
- Zelensky called for a freeze of the front line as a first step toward ceasefire, according to Deutsche Welle.
On 21 October 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg and said he is 'in principle' ready to resume talks with Ukraine and the United States, according to the BBC.
Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov said a new round could be held around 10 November in Abu Dhabi, and that the talks should focus on building a security system after the conflict, according to the BBC and France 24.
During the same meeting, Russian forces released Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen who had been detained on charges of being a mercenary, according to Deutsche Welle.
Trump said he had requested Hubbard’s release directly from Putin and that no swap was required, according to a post Trump made on Truth Social, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
Zelenskyy called for a freeze of the front line as a first step toward ceasefire, according to Deutsche Welle.
The Kremlin said the proposals presented by Witkoff lacked substance and would not be useful for a peace settlement, but Putin agreed 'in principle' to resume talks, according to the BBC and Deutsche Welle.
Context
The war between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022. Russia claims it is winning, while Ukraine and its allies describe a stalemate. Diplomatic efforts have been ongoing, with Russia recently indicating willingness to resume talks.
How outlets headlined it
- BBCRussia says it is ready to resume talks with Ukraine and US to end war
- NPRFormer U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine on Trump's turn toward Russia
- DWRussia frees jailed American Stephen Hubbard during Witkoff talks
- France 24Kremlin says 'ready' to resume 3-way talks with US and Ukraine mid-November
- AxiosPutin tells Witkoff he is ready to resume direct peace talks, Russia releases U.S. detainee
How this was made
Compiled by our AI newsroom from 5 independent outlets, checked by a separate AI editor against the sources. Only claims found in the sources are reported. Spot an error? Every source is linked below.
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