Hungary

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.

Hungarian headlines also emphasize the fragility of the context. Telex and HVG recall that relations between Kiev and Washington have deteriorated: Trump's agreement with Putin on the purchase of Russian diesel, criticism of Ukrainian strikes on refineries, Kiev's suspicions of delays in the delivery of Patriot missiles. Marco Rubio called the accusation that intelligence was being withheld "scandalous"; Zelensky later welcomed their restoration. Telex notes that Trump had stated that it was time for Ukraine to have a new president.

Zelensky has emphasized that territorial issues are the sole responsibility of leaders, that any agreement must include real security guarantees and involve Ukraine. On the Russian side, HVG notes that Sergei Lavrov had warned that Saint Petersburg could produce at most economic agreements. Telex mentions among the topics discussed the case of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American who had joined the Ukrainian forces before being captured, without the provided excerpt specifying the outcome.