DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow presents the Saint Petersburg meeting as a resumption of dialogue on its terms: the release of Hubbard as a gesture of goodwill, three-way negotiations in November, and economic projects with Washington.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to Iouri Ouchakov, Putin said the country is ready to resume trilateral negotiations on Ukraine in the second week of November.
- 02
Stephen Hubbard, sentenced to six years and ten months for mercenary activities, has been released; Peskov calls it a "gesture of good will".
- 03
Peskov claims that Witkoff's proposals, reported from Oslo, will be studied and evaluated by the president.
ANALYSIS
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."
Before the meeting, Peskov assured that Trump is "sincere and consistent" in his desire for peace and that Witkoff's proposals would be "studied and evaluated" by the president. He added that the situation in Ukraine is deteriorating "every day" and that Kiev could have obtained better conditions one or two years earlier. RIA Novosti cites Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who mentions after Oslo a "real progress" on security and economy.
The Kremlin announces that the proposals will be examined, without a numerical commitment beyond the November window. Meduza describes a new American attempt to relaunch the process, after months during which, according to Vedomosti, Ushakov had declared the trilateral talks suspended.
SOURCES (5)
- SputnikMEDIUM
- VedomostiMEDIUM
- RIA NovostiMEDIUM
