DOMINANT ANGLE
Paris is questioning the diplomatic significance of Steve Witkoff's visit to Saint Petersburg, which it views in the context of a week of high tension between Washington and Kiev.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday, October 21, for nearly three hours according to the Kremlin, a day after his discussions with Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo.
- 02
Vladimir Putin announced the release of American Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained since April 2022; Donald Trump claims there was no quid pro quo.
- 03
Steve Witkoff told Vladimir Putin: "You are a humanist yourself, sir," according to images from Russian public television broadcast by BFMTV.
ANALYSIS
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.
The gesture that opens the meeting is drawing attention. Vladimir Putin announces the release of Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher detained since April 2022 and sentenced for "mercenary activities" on behalf of Ukraine, which he denies. BFMTV reports that Donald Trump claims on Truth Social that he was released without "counterpart". Libération presents the same account. Steve Witkoff thanks the Russian president in front of the cameras of Russian public television: "You are a humanist, sir." BFMTV headlines this phrase and the Trump administration's qualification of "humanist".
The meeting lasted nearly three hours, according to the Kremlin cited by Russian agencies. The articles in the corpus do not detail the content of the American proposals; they emphasize the contrast between the cordial tone displayed in Saint Petersburg and the pressure exerted on Kiev.
SOURCES (4)
- HuffPost FranceMEDIUM
- BFMTVMEDIUM
- LibérationMEDIUM
