# US Envoy Meets Putin After Zelensky Talks

> US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Putin to release captured US teacher after Zelensky-Ukraine tensions.
- Title: US Envoy Meets Putin After Zelensky Talks · France24
- Summary: US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Putin to release captured US teacher after Zelensky-Ukraine tensions. US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin to release Stephen…
- Keywords: steve witkoff, vladimir putin, stephen hubbard, us secretary of state marco rubio, volodymyr zelensky, ukraine, us president donald trump, starshield, patriot missiles, midterm elections, news, world
- Source: France24 — https://france24.com/en/europe/20261021-us-envoy-witkoff-to-meet-putin-in-russia-after-positive-talks-with-zelensky
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: steve witkoff, vladimir putin, stephen hubbard, us secretary of state marco rubio, volodymyr zelensky, ukraine, us president donald trump, starshield, patriot missiles, midterm elections, news, world
## US envoy meets Putin
US envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Saint Petersburg to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday following what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as 'positive' talks with Ukraine's leader.

> positive
## Hubbard released by Putin
Putin announced the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired American teacher taken captive by Russian forces years ago in Ukraine.
## Hubbard's capture
Hubbard was sentenced after a closed trial in 2024 to nearly seven years in prison for fighting with Ukraine after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
## Zelensky thanks US
After talks with Witkoff in Oslo, Zelensky thanked Washington for the resumption of US intelligence on Russian strikes.
## Trump pressures Ukraine
Trump said he wanted Zelensky to 'make a deal' with Russia and accused him of not accepting terms offered during a February 2025 Oval Office row.

> make a deal
## Starshield slowdown
Ukraine reported a reduction in speeds on Starshield, the US military satellite system used for battlefield communications and strikes on Russian-occupied territory.
## US-Putin meeting planned
Witkoff's meeting with Putin on Wednesday would include Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner participating virtually, with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev also attending.
## Key takeaway

US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin to release Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen detained by Russia since 2022, following positive talks with Zelensky.