DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad views Steve Witkoff's tour as a diplomatic maneuver by Washington: the release of an American and the idea of a Putin-Trump summit in China are overshadowing a Ukraine pressed to conclude.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Vladimir Putin proposed meeting Donald Trump in China during his meeting with Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, the ninth in-person meeting between the two men (Geo News, according to Russian state television).
- 02
Stephen Hubbard, 74, sentenced to six years and ten months in prison in October 2024, was released during the meeting; Steve Witkoff described Vladimir Putin as "humanitarian" (ARY News, AFP).
- 03
In Oslo, discussions with Volodymyr Zelensky focused on security guarantees, a post-war economic plan, and European security architecture (Business Recorder).
ANALYSIS
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".
The meeting began with a gesture from Moscow: the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher from Big Rapids, Michigan. Geo retraces his story: he settled in Izioum in 2014 and was sentenced to six years and ten months in prison in October 2024. His family and lawyer deny the accusations, and the US had declared him wrongfully detained in January 2025. According to AFP via ARY, Steve Witkoff conveyed the thanks of "the entire nation" and described Vladimir Putin as "humanitarian".
The dispatches place the episode in a climate of distrust. Geo writes that US-Ukrainian relations have clearly deteriorated since the announcement of a Russian diesel export agreement, intended to lower prices in the US, while the cost of fuel weighs on Republicans ahead of the November legislative elections. Business Recorder mentions a bipartisan reaction in Congress and the concern of European capitals, as well as Kiev's complaints about intelligence and military support. Volodymyr Zelensky assured that alerts for Russian strikes were working again: "Now it's working, it's great".
