DOMINANT ANGLE
Doha is gauging the diplomatic mechanics of the day: an updated American proposal being put to Putin, following up on Oslo, to pave the way for direct three-way talks.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to Axios, as cited by Al Jazeera, Steve Witkoff was to present an updated proposal to Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday to end the war, with Jared Kushner joining via video conference.
- 02
Kiev has requested similar guarantees to NATO's Article 5; the Norwegian Prime Minister deemed the Oslo meeting "good and constructive".
- 03
Gulf Times, according to Russian agencies, reports that Putin announced the release of American Stephen Hubbard, who was present at Pulkovo Airport, and that Witkoff thanked him.
ANALYSIS
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.
An American official cited by AFP explains that the meeting with Putin must "build on the progress" of Oslo and prepare for direct three-way talks between Kiev, Moscow, and Washington. Another official hopes that the new proposal will pave the way for direct trilateral negotiations, followed by broader multilateral discussions.
Gulf Times then reports, according to Russian agencies, that Vladimir Putin announced, during the meeting with Witkoff, the release of Stephen Hubbard, an American captured by Russian forces in Ukraine several years ago. Putin specified that he was at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, and Witkoff thanked him. The articles provided do not mention a date for the resumption of talks or the Kremlin's reaction to the proposals.
