Witkoff asks Putin to resume direct peace talks, Russia releases U.S. detainee

White House envoy Steve Witkoff requested Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval to restart tripartite peace negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. The aim is to bring an end to the ongoing conflict. Witkoff shared an updated peace proposal during a meeting in St. Petersburg.

Prior to their meeting, Russia released American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained by Russian forces since April 2022. Putin announced Hubbard's release at the start of the meeting, and he was whisked away to Pulkovo Airport on camera. He is set to reunite with his family shortly.

In return for Hubbard's release, the United States showed leniency by not demanding anything in exchange. This marks an unprecedented situation for Russia.

Witkoff's visit to Russia followed talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo, Norway, as well as with leaders from Norway, Finland, France, the U.K., Germany, Poland, the EU, and NATO. Zelensky expressed hope for a trilateral meeting between him, Putin, and Trump. However, Russia has previously dismissed such a format. The Oslo discussions centered on creating a unified framework agreement to resolve the war.

Witkoff conveyed optimism about the Oslo talks, stating that progress was made. He hoped these discussions would serve as a foundation for a successful conclusion of hostilities in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. Witkoff presented Putin with several documents outlining potential approaches to achieving a peaceful settlement.

Putin expressed interest in discussing the possibility of Russian mediation between the U.S. and Iran. He emphasized their long-standing, trustworthy relationship with Iran and offered to participate in resolving the crisis. Furthermore, Putin mentioned that the U.S. had proposed a similar idea, but no swap was necessary for Hubbard's release, as it was an unprecedented occurrence for Russia.