The key facts
- On October 21, talks between Putin and US Special Envoy Witkoff are taking place at the Constantine Palace
- Witkoff called Putin a humanist in response to the Russian leader's remarks about Trump's humanitarian motives
- Witkoff brought documents with proposals for the Ukrainian settlement; their contents have not been disclosed
Witkoff Called Putin a Humanist
US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, during talks in St. Petersburg, called Vladimir Putin a humanist and expressed his respect. He was reacting to the Russian leader's remarks about Donald Trump's humanitarian motives in the matter of settling the Ukrainian conflict. “You talk so much about how my president, President Trump, is a humanist. You are also a humanist, sir, and I give you credit for that. I express my respect to you and thank you once again,” Witkoff said to Putin.
Thanks to the Trumps and Hubbard's Release
Before that, Putin thanked Donald and Melania Trump for their assistance in resolving humanitarian matters, noting that the American leader pays special attention to ending the loss of human lives in the conflict in Ukraine. Witkoff also expressed gratitude for the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, previously convicted in Russia in a mercenary case. Putin said that the US citizen was already at Pulkovo Airport.
Documents on the Settlement
The talks are taking place on October 21 at the Constantine Palace. The American special envoy brought to Russia documents with proposals for the Ukrainian settlement, prepared after consultations between Washington, Kyiv, and European partners. Their contents have not yet been fully disclosed. According to Life.ru, Witkoff hopes for the resumption of talks between Russia, the US, and Ukraine.
Previous Contacts
On September 5, Putin had already received Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin. At that time, the special envoy conveyed the Russian president President Trump's best wishes and called the conversation with the Russian leader one of the most memorable events; the meeting lasted more than three hours. Later, on October 9, Putin and Trump, during a phone call, agreed to continue personal contacts, discussed the prospects for a Ukrainian settlement, the situation around Iran, and bilateral relations, and also confirmed their readiness to maintain interaction through administrations, intelligence services, and relevant agencies.
