Putin orders the release of an American prisoner as the Kremlin agrees in principle to technical-level talks on Ukraine

22 October 2026

President Vladimir Putin ordered the release of jailed American Stephen Hubbard as he met the United States envoy Steve Witkoff for talks on Ukraine, in a meeting reported on October 21 and 22, 2026. Witkoff told Putin that he had brought papers containing ideas for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, and conveyed thanks for a deal to resume Russian diesel exports to the United States. Witkoff described the meeting as constructive but said important work remained and that trilateral talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine at the technical level would follow. The Kremlin said it had agreed in principle to those talks, which would focus on how to guarantee the security of Ukraine and Russia once the war ended. It was Witkoff's ninth visit to Russia since he was tasked with brokering an end to the war, and he travelled there from Oslo after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.