Canberra, October 21, 2026. The Australian press, led by ABC News and PerthNow, is treating Wednesday's meeting in Saint Petersburg as a diplomatic relaunch episode, whose first tangible fact is a release.

According to ABC, Vladimir Putin announced, while receiving US emissary Steve Witkoff, that Stephen Hubbard, 74, detained in Russia since 2022, was free and at Pulkovo Airport. A former teacher from Michigan, he was serving a sentence of nearly seven years for mercenary activity, after a closed trial. He had been arrested in April 2022 in Izium, where Russian prosecutors claimed he held a post at a Ukrainian army checkpoint. ABC recalls that his American lawyer, Martin De Luca, had told Reuters that Stephen Hubbard considered the accusations false and denied any affiliation with a combat unit. He was, according to the media, the only American prisoner held by Russia that Washington described as "wrongfully detained". ABC describes a "goodwill gesture" that opened discussions, and reports that Steve Witkoff thanked the Russian president.

PerthNow places the visit a day after the meeting in Oslo, where the emissary met with Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders. Finnish President Alexander Stubb saw an exchange that "made real progress". At the start of the meeting, Steve Witkoff said he hoped for the resumption of three-way talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, so that technical teams could prepare the next steps towards a settlement. Vladimir Putin thanked Donald Trump and his envoy for their efforts. The media specifies that Donald Trump had mentioned the day before, at the White House, a long conversation with Vladimir Putin on the subject and his request to release the American.

The tone remains cautious on the substance. PerthNow writes that the Trump administration's efforts since early 2025 "have produced no significant progress" and that no imminent breakthrough was mentioned: Moscow and Kiev remain far apart on their conditions, their armies are still clashing, and each is carrying out long-range daily strikes, more than four and a half years after the invasion. ABC reports that Steve Witkoff invited Vladimir Putin to relaunch American mediation and examine new ideas to end the war, during what constitutes, according to the media, his ninth visit.

The overall tone provides a factual reading, focused on the mechanics of negotiation and immediate American interest, without explicit Australian positioning.

Budapest, October 21, 2026. For Telex and HVG, the notable scene of the day boils down to one phrase. On Wednesday, in Saint Petersburg, Steve Witkoff, emissary of Donald Trump, told Vladimir Putin: "You talk a lot about my president, Trump, as a humanitarian. You are one too, sir, I appreciate it," adding that it deserved praise. HVG headlines with "You are also a humanitarian" and writes that the emissary "extensively flattered" the Russian president, citing Politico and an excerpt broadcast by Russian state media. Telex recalls in the same article that the total invasion has been going on for four and a half years, that strikes have again hit Kiev and Kharkiv overnight, killing three people, and that the UN counts 328 civilians killed in September.

The day before, on Tuesday in Oslo, Witkoff had met with Volodymyr Zelensky, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, along with European and NATO representatives. Jared Kushner joined via video. Støre spoke of "good and constructive" discussions, necessary "after the events of the past week." A US official cited by AFP via HVG mentions a "strong agreement" between Washington, Kiev, and Europe on the next steps. 444, citing Politico, indicates that Witkoff was to propose to Putin a three-way summit with Trump and Zelensky, which Støre presents as a way to prepare a meeting at the leadership level.

Brasília, October 21, 2026. The Brazilian press reports on the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher, announced on Wednesday, October 21, by Steve Witkoff during his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg. G1 specifies that this man from Michigan, detained since 2022, had been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison after a closed trial in 2024. According to Russian prosecutors, he had signed a contract with the Ukrainian armed forces and fought alongside them until his capture, two months after the start of the invasion.

Veja emphasizes the origin of the decision: a direct request from Donald Trump to Putin, during a phone call the previous week. On Truth Social, the American president stated that Washington had offered nothing in exchange, "an unprecedented situation for Russia." G1 notes, however, that Trump also mentions the current good relations between Washington and Moscow, linked to the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil this month. Witkoff thanked the Russian leader: "Graças a você, ele está voltando para casa, para sua família."

The two media outlets place the episode in a new American diplomatic attempt. Witkoff presented proposals to Moscow to relaunch negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, after meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway on Tuesday. Veja notes that, despite the rapprochement between Trump and Putin, disagreements over the territories occupied by Russia remain one of the main obstacles to a peace agreement.

Berlin, October 21, 2026. The German press is covering Steve Witkoff's visit to St. Petersburg as a diplomatic maneuver where Europe and Ukraine carry little weight. Handelsblatt and DW recall that Donald Trump's emissary met with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, October 21, after "constructive" talks with Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday, October 20, in the presence of Norwegian and Finnish leaders and representatives of the EU and NATO. According to an American official, Kiev presented new proposals: security guarantees, a post-war economic plan, and an expanded European security architecture. Finnish President Alexander Stubb mentions "significant progress" behind the scenes.

Tagesschau highlights the release of Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher sentenced in October 2024 to nearly seven years in prison for alleged "mercenary" activities on behalf of Ukraine. Putin announced it in front of Witkoff; Hubbard was already at Pulkovo Airport. Trump claims to have requested this release by phone the previous week and assures that Washington gave nothing in return, "an unprecedented situation for Russia." The channel adds that a German citizen was arrested almost at the same time in Russia.

DW details the follow-up: Witkoff brought "some papers," "ideas" for peace; the Kremlin considers these proposals "lacking substance," but Putin agrees "in principle" to resume talks after November 10. Trump presents the suspension of a new round of sanctions as a necessary concession: without it, negotiations would have been "completely interrupted."

Tallinn, October 21, 2026. For the public radio and television broadcaster ERR, Steve Witkoff's visit to Saint Petersburg is "the latest attempt" by the United States to bring Moscow and Kiev back to the negotiating table, four and a half years after the start of the large-scale invasion. The title first quotes the American envoy, who described Vladimir Putin as an "humanist". Cited from a video by Russian state media broadcast on Wednesday, he says: "You too, sir, are a humanist, and I recognize it, I praise you and thank you again". According to the Tass agency, cited by ERR, the meeting lasted over three hours and ended around 3 pm Estonian time.

ERR recalls that Witkoff had met with Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday and that it was expected of him to propose to Putin tripartite talks with Donald Trump. This would be the first summit of this type since 2022. The media notes that previous attempts to bring Putin and Zelensky together have failed and that the Kremlin has recently insisted that any meeting take place in Moscow. According to Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov, Putin told Witkoff that Moscow is "in principle ready" to resume negotiations with the United States and Ukraine next month.

The daily Ohtuleht, in its live coverage on Tuesday, October 20, emphasizes the security aspect. Zelensky affirms that the document Witkoff is to hand over to the Russians contains various security guarantees. He adds, according to ERR, that questions related to Ukrainian territory can only be discussed by heads of state, and that any agreement requires real guarantees and Ukraine's involvement in its drafting.

Paris, October 21, 2026. The French press is covering Steve Witkoff's visit to Saint Petersburg as a follow-up to a week of tension between Washington and Kiev. BFMTV recalls that relations have deteriorated since Donald Trump's agreement with Vladimir Putin on the purchase of Russian diesel, and since his criticism of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, which he claims are fueling the surge in fuel prices.

The day before, on Tuesday, October 20, Volodymyr Zelensky received Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Oslo, the latter by video conference due to illness, in the presence of Norwegian and Finnish leaders. The Ukrainian president welcomed the restoration of American intelligence sharing and demanded a place in any negotiations. An American official told AFP of "very productive and constructive" discussions and a "strong alignment" between Americans, Ukrainians, and Europeans. France 24 notes that Marco Rubio, visiting India, mentioned "positive" talks and said Steve Witkoff would share "these ideas" with the Russian side.

The HuffPost France is more reserved: these "diplomatic language elements" do not make us forget the days of high tension. It quotes Donald Trump, who repeats that Volodymyr Zelensky must have the will to end the war, otherwise "it will go very badly", and notes that Moscow has again struck Ukrainian energy sites at night. It counts Steve Witkoff's tenth visit to Russia since 2025.

New Delhi, October 21, 2026. The Indian press reports on Wednesday's meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg as a diplomatic relaunch, without any announced breakthrough. The Deccan Chronicle, which headlines with Donald Trump pushing Kiev towards an agreement, specifies that Witkoff had hoped to discuss the resumption of trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, so that technical teams could discuss the next steps in a settlement. The newspaper recalls that the Trump administration's efforts since the beginning of last year have not produced significant progress, that nothing suggests an imminent breakthrough, and that Moscow and Kiev remain far apart on terms, while their armies clash daily at long range.

The Times of India details the agenda: the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, who was tried in camera in 2024 for fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine; renewed US-Russia economic cooperation; Russian diesel exports; and the possibility of a meeting between Putin and Trump in China. According to the Russian agency Interfax, Witkoff handed over documents describing settlement routes and pleaded for the resumption of three-way discussions.

The two dailies relay the previous day's events in Oslo. A US official, quoted by CNN, sees "significant progress" on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan, and a European security architecture. Finnish President Alexander Stubb believes the meeting "made real progress". Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, judges that a freeze on the conflict is the "minimum" to be obtained from Moscow.

Rome, October 21, 2026. For the Italian press, Wednesday, October 21, is part of a sequence: Oslo, then St. Petersburg. La Repubblica recalls that after his Norwegian meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House envoy was to present Vladimir Putin with "an updated proposal" to end the war. ANSA describes the talks in Oslo as "important and constructive": Zelensky and his European partners are seeking to turn the page on an open confrontation with the United States, and the Ukrainian president announces that the sharing of American intelligence "is working" again. Marco Rubio, from Mumbai, speaks of a "positive meeting, nothing unexpected or surprising".

The Italian agency tempers this relief, however. According to the New York Times, which it cites, Donald Trump is seeking to convince Kiev to accept an agreement including territorial concessions in the Donbass, and the lack of details on the content of the proposals does not help to dispel doubts about the Western plan. Jared Kushner participated in the Oslo discussions remotely.

In St. Petersburg, Witkoff is welcomed at Pulkovo Airport by presidential advisor Kirill Dmitriev. According to Dmitri Peskov, cited by Tass, the meeting with Putin lasted approximately three hours. Witkoff claims to have brought "several documents" describing approaches to a peaceful solution and asks Putin to review them later; Kushner joined by phone. Peskov assures that all proposals will be examined by the president, but "much depends on the Ukrainians". The Kremlin says it is ready to resume trilateral negotiations with Kiev and Washington in mid-November.

Kuala Lumpur, October 21, 2026. Malaysia's two pool media outlets, The Sun MY and Malay Mail, are covering the episode through Washington's words, with few direct Russian or Ukrainian voices.

The Sun MY reports on the remarks of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, made from India, according to which the discussions between envoy Steve Witkoff and Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo were "positive, nothing unexpected, nothing surprising". Armed with these ideas, Steve Witkoff can travel to Saint Petersburg and present them to the Russian side: "let's see if we can make progress". Marco Rubio nonetheless acknowledges the difficulty of ending the war, which has entered its fourth year: "if it were an easy war to resolve, it would have been resolved a long time ago".

The same article devotes a long passage to another issue: the slowdown of the military version of Starlink, Starshield, used by Ukraine on the battlefield. Rubio claims that the White House had no prior knowledge and that the president "has nothing to do" with SpaceX's decisions. Donald Trump denies having ordered a reduction in bandwidth, while Elon Musk had said that the order could only come from the White House; the Wall Street Journal nonetheless claims that Musk gave the order.

Malay Mail, in Washington on October 21, focuses on Stephen Hubbard, an American captured by Russian forces in Ukraine, a retired English teacher in his sixties, sentenced in secret in October 2024 to nearly seven years in prison for "mercenary activities", an accusation he contests. According to Russian agencies, Vladimir Putin announced the release during his meeting with Steve Witkoff, specifying that the man was at Pulkovo Airport; the envoy thanked him.

Oslo, October 21, 2026. Norway's press is telling the story from its own capital: on Tuesday, October 20, the government's representation residence, Parkveien 45, brought together Volodymyr Zelensky, US emissary Steve Witkoff, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, along with security advisors from the EU, NATO, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. Støre spoke of "good and constructive conversations, necessary after the events of last week," focusing on Ukraine's security, a post-war economic plan, territorial issues, sanctions, and the European security order.

Aftenposten and Dagbladet noted a detail: Witkoff did not participate in the press conference. "This is a press conference for political leaders," Støre replied to a Ukrainian journalist. Dagbladet described a silent Witkoff leaving the dinner, shortly after 9:15 p.m., against a backdrop of an increasingly cold tone between Washington and Kiev.

On Wednesday, October 21, Støre explained to NRK that Witkoff is traveling to Saint Petersburg to exchange Oslo's ideas and "perhaps prepare a meeting at the leadership level" with Putin, Trump, and Zelensky. VG detailed the dossier: security, economic development, and a proposal for a mutual cessation of strikes on energy production, with a corridor for Ukrainian goods in the Black Sea. Støre argued that Europe should be at the table: "We cannot put all the cards in the Americans' hands." Marco Rubio judged the Oslo meeting "positive."

Islamabad, October 21, 2026. Geo News, Business Recorder, and ARY News are following the Saint Petersburg meeting based on Reuters and AFP dispatches. On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin proposed to Donald Trump that they meet in China, hosting emissary Steve Witkoff, according to Russian state television cited by Geo. The Kremlin had already mentioned the possibility of a three-way meeting with Xi Jinping at an Apec summit in China next month. Vladimir Putin also offered to discuss the restoration of economic cooperation between Moscow and Washington. Geo specifies that this is the ninth in-person meeting between Steve Witkoff and the Russian president.

The day before, in Oslo, a US official described discussions with Volodymyr Zelensky, Norwegian and Finnish leaders, and European and NATO representatives as "constructive". Business Recorder reports "significant progress" towards a coordinated approach to Russia, on security guarantees, a post-war economic plan, and European security architecture. Steve Witkoff is to seek to "create a path towards direct trilateral negotiations", according to this official. Donald Trump stated that it was time for Ukraine to end the war, or it would face "a very bad thing".

Warsaw, October 21, 2026. The Polish press is following Steve Witkoff's two-part mission. On Tuesday, in Oslo, Donald Trump's emissary met in person with Volodymyr Zelensky; Jared Kushner participated remotely, as he allegedly - "rzekomo", according to RMF24 - contracted the flu. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb were present. Stubb stated that the discussions allowed for the development of certain elements of a peace agreement, to be presented on Wednesday in Saint Petersburg. Zelensky expressed gratitude towards Washington for restoring access to intelligence.

Rzeczpospolita specifies that the exchanges in Oslo focused on security guarantees for Ukraine after the war, and a US official cited by Reuters deemed them "constructive". The newspaper recalls that Donald Trump said it was time for Ukraine to end the war, or else it would face "something very bad".

On Wednesday, Rzeczpospolita reported on a gesture from Russia that the US President had requested: the release of Stephen Hubbard. RMF24 recalls that this 74-year-old man was sentenced in October 2024 to six years and ten months in a penal colony for mercenarism; Russian services claim he joined the Ukrainian territorial defense in Izyum in February 2022 and was taken captive in April 2022. According to NYT, cited by RMF24, the mission aimed to show the interest in agreements with Moscow.

Doha, October 21, 2026. Qatari coverage, carried by Al Jazeera in Arabic and Gulf Times, focuses on the diplomatic mechanics of the day. On Wednesday, October 21, according to Al Jazeera, citing the Axios website and American sources, Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's emissary, was to meet Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg to present him with an updated proposal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Jared Kushner was to join the meeting by video conference.

The channel places this meeting in the continuation of the discussions held in Oslo, attended by Witkoff, Kushner, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European officials. These discussions, it writes, aimed to contain the tension between Donald Trump and Zelensky, after Kiev's complaints about the diesel agreement with Moscow and the disruption of American military deliveries, including intelligence cooperation, which would have hindered the Ukrainian army's ability to repel Russian attacks.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre judged the Oslo meeting "good and constructive", likely to prepare for another meeting at the leaders' level. Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that "the peace process is back on track". According to Axios, the exchanges focused on drafting a unified framework agreement proposal, and an American official speaks of tangible progress and strong alignment at the working team level. Kiev, for its part, demands guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5.

Bucharest, October 21, 2026. The Romanian press is treating Steve Witkoff's visit to Russia as the start of a negotiation, based on agency dispatches reprinted by Agerpres. G4Media and Digi24 report, according to the Russian agency Tass, which cites an anonymous source, that Donald Trump's special envoy is traveling to Russia on Wednesday, October 21. Digi24 writes that the visit is taking place "today", G4Media announces it for Wednesday.

The key point is the announcement by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, relayed by AFP: Witkoff will go to Saint Petersburg to present to Russian authorities proposals developed by the Americans and Europeans. According to Stoere, they "could pave the way for a meeting at the leadership level". An American official cited by Axios specifies that the envoy is to meet Vladimir Putin and present him with some of the ideas discussed with European allies.

The two articles place the mission after the meeting on Tuesday in Oslo, where Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, according to Reuters. The sequence is presented as a back-and-forth between Europeans, Kiev, and Moscow, with Washington in an intermediary position.

The context retained is that of tension between allies: the visit is taking place, Digi24 writes, "against a backdrop of verbal escalation between Trump and Zelensky", who have mutually accused each other in recent days of preventing a solution. This tension is not detailed in the articles: neither the exchanged phrases nor their exact authors are cited.

Moscow, October 21, 2026. On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin received American envoy Steve Witkoff at the Constantin Palace in St. Petersburg. According to Sputnik, he said he was "very happy" to welcome him, thanked Donald Trump for his attention to the settlement efforts, and mentioned a possible meeting with him in China. Kirill Dmitriev greeted the envoy at Pulkovo Airport, and Jared Kushner, who was ill, participated via video conference.

The result that the Russian press retains is that of the conversation, which lasted more than three hours according to Vedomosti. According to adviser Yury Ushakov, Putin said Russia is ready to resume trilateral negotiations with the United States and Ukraine in the second week of November. Witkoff conveyed this proposal, thanked the Russian president for the "diesel agreement," and reported on Oslo. Ushakov believes that the "new approaches" of Ukraine and Europe contain little practical substance. The two parties also discussed major Russian-American economic projects.

The release of Stephen Hubbard opened the meeting. Meduza recalls that he was sentenced by the Moscow court to six years and ten months for mercenarism, after his engagement in the territorial defense of Izium. Dmitry Peskov speaks of a "gesture of good will." Trump claims that Russia did not demand anything in exchange "out of respect for President Trump."

Stockholm, October 21, 2026. In the Swedish press, Steve Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg is first reported as a follow-up to Oslo. On Tuesday, Donald Trump's emissary met with Volodymyr Zelensky, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Dagens Nyheter quotes Zelensky: "There are other types of guarantees that Steve will share with the Russians." Sveriges Radio deployed its international correspondent Daniel Alling to cover the press conference that followed.

The tone is cautious. Aftonbladet and Svenska Dagbladet, which published the same dispatch, write that expectations in Europe are low. They cite former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt (M), who writes on X that Putin is supposed to sell him "yet another diversionary maneuver" and that "it usually works." Marco Rubio, visiting India, judges the Oslo exchanges positive, "nothing unexpected, nothing surprising," and says that Witkoff arrives "equipped with ideas." The two newspapers recall that the Oslo meeting was hastily convened after a period of high tension between Washington and Kiev, partly due to a controversial agreement providing for Russia to sell diesel to the United States.

This diesel issue also structures Expressen's coverage. According to Russian state media, Witkoff thanked Putin for the diesel agreement and urged Moscow to resume peace talks with Ukraine. The newspaper specifies that Jared Kushner, who is ill, participated remotely, and notes that Putin also made an unusual offer: fertilizer. Earlier, Expressen relayed Reuters and Axios on the emissary's arrival in Russia to discuss a new peace plan.

Kyiv, October 21, 2026. The Ukrainian press is addressing the meeting between Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin at the Konstantin Palace near Saint Petersburg, with the security guarantees discussed the day before in Oslo. On Tuesday, October 20, Volodymyr Zelensky received the American envoy in the presence of Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. According to Ukrinform, he mentioned Article 5 of NATO and a "Article 5 light" variant, included in the document that Witkoff was to hand over to the Russians; Kyiv was hoping for a response within a day. Zelensky recalled that no issue concerning Ukraine could be discussed without it, and referred the territories to the "highest level".

On Wednesday, October 21, the conversation lasted nearly three hours, reports Ukrainska Pravda, citing Interfax. Witkoff said he hoped for the resumption of Russia-US-Ukraine talks to address technical issues, and believed that a basis existed for a ceasefire. Kirill Dmitriev participated; Jared Kushner, who was ill, joined via video link, according to Dmitri Peskov. Ukrainian media also note that Witkoff thanked Putin, on behalf of Donald Trump, for his decision on diesel, and that the latter mentioned more fertilizer deliveries to the United States.

The release of Stephen Hubbard, 74, a teacher from Michigan who has been living in Izioum since 2014, is detailed: he was sentenced to six years and ten months for allegedly joining the Ukrainian territorial defense, according to Russian investigators. His sister claims the accusation is a lie.

London, 21 October 2026. For both the BBC and The Independent, Wednesday's meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's emissary, Steve Witkoff, in Saint Petersburg, began with a gesture: the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American and former teacher from Michigan.

The BBC recalls that Stephen Hubbard had been sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in a penal colony for allegedly fighting for Ukraine, according to Moscow. He had reportedly served in a defense unit in Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, before being captured by Russian forces shortly after the 2022 invasion. The US State Department had classified him as "wrongfully detained". Vladimir Putin indicated during the meeting that Hubbard had been taken to Pulkovo Airport. According to CBS News, the BBC's American partner, Hubbard was in poor health and was to be transported to Texas for treatment.

Donald Trump's account is widely reported. The American president claims that the release was in response to a demand made "directly" to Vladimir Putin the previous week, and that "there was no 'swap' necessary". The BBC notes that other releases of Americans detained in Russia have involved prisoner exchanges. It also points out that Donald Trump appears to be defending his recent decision to suspend sanctions against Russia, two days before they were due to come into effect: new sanctions, he claims, would have stopped the negotiations over Hubbard altogether.

Washington, October 21, 2026. For the American press, Steve Witkoff's visit to Saint Petersburg opens and is summed up first with one face: that of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan, released on Wednesday after more than four years of detention. CBS News recalls that he was the last American formally qualified as "wrongfully detained" by the State Department. NPR specifies that he was sentenced in 2024, after a closed trial, to nearly seven years in prison for alleged mercenarism.

Donald Trump claims the result on Truth Social: the release was obtained at his request, during a call with Vladimir Putin the previous week, and the United States "had nothing to give in return". He adds that there was "no exchange". Fox News extensively reprints this message, including the phrase "Biden should have done the Hubbard release long ago". The Hill and CBS note, however, that the president himself linked the release to his decision to suspend new sanctions against Moscow, which he says he preserved in order not to interrupt the negotiation.

The sequence that attracts the most attention is the video of the opening of the meeting. Steve Witkoff thanks Putin: "You talk so much about President Trump as a humanitarian; you are one too, sir, and I salute that." CBS emphasizes that the emissary addresses these praises to the leader who ordered the invasion of Ukraine. NBC sees a sign of rapprochement and estimates that the release offers Trump "a victory to claim" after the criticism, in the United States and abroad, of his shift away from Kiev. The Hill recalls that the president has already faced criticism from his own camp over Russian diesel imports and the waiver of sanctions.

Pretoria, October 21, 2026. The South African press consulted here, SABC News and TimesLIVE, focuses on the Oslo stage, not Saint Petersburg: their articles, dated October 20, deal with the meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Volodymyr Zelensky, and present it as an attempt to repair a deteriorating relationship.

TimesLIVE, in a dispatch signed by Nerijus Adomaitis and Lina Golovnya, writes that Zelensky met with Witkoff on Tuesday, October 20, "in a bid to rescue relations that have sunk to new lows". The two men hugged before the discussions, which were hosted in Oslo by the leaders of Norway and Finland. Jared Kushner participated remotely. Zelensky had first met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The account highlights Kiev's grievances: Washington allegedly failed to provide early warning of Russian missile strikes, restricted the Starshield satellite links that guide Ukrainian drones, and failed to deliver air defense systems paid for by Europeans. Washington denies any deliberate obstruction. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged on Tuesday that a batch of missiles purchased by European countries may not have been delivered.

SABC News links the rift to the diesel agreement concluded with Russia, which has weakened sanctions: Zelensky accuses Washington of betrayal and rewarding Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump, for his part, believes that the Ukrainian leader is hindering peace. The channel quotes his statement: "Zelenskiy doesn't know what he's talking about", and his conviction that it's time for "somebody else" to negotiate for Ukraine.