Putin and Witkoff meet in St Petersburg as Russia frees American detainee
Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday, releasing an American detainee as a goodwill gesture during talks on ending the Ukraine war. The meeting, Witkoff's ninth with Putin, began with Russia freeing Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher imprisoned since 2022. Witkoff arrived after "constructive" Oslo talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky, amid Kyiv's concerns over US intelligence-sharing disruptions and Starlink slowdowns. Trump has pressured Ukraine to seek a deal, warning of "something very bad" otherwise. Kyiv presented new security and reconstruction proposals, while the Kremlin said a Putin-Zelensky meeting requires preparation. Hubbard was convicted on mercenary charges he denies.