Putin and Witkoff meet in St Petersburg as Russia frees American detainee

tovima.gr (Greek) —

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.


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