Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special representative, met with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. This meeting was part of new efforts to achieve a peace agreement in Ukraine.
Release of Steven Hubbard
After the discussion, Putin announced that Steven Hubbard, an American who was detained years ago on charges of mercenary activity by Russian forces in Ukraine, would be released. Hubbard was sentenced to seven years in prison in a closed trial in 2014.
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Outcomes of the Talks
This meeting took place a day after Witkoff's session with Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, in Norway, which, according to Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, yielded positive results. Rubio stated, "He will now go to St. Petersburg with new ideas and will share them with the Russian side to see if we can make progress."
Witkoff also recently met with other European leaders in Oslo, and these meetings have revitalized peace efforts after more than four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Comments from Norwegian Officials
Zelensky also met with members of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo on Wednesday. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that Witkoff would return to Oslo for further consultations after his trip to St. Petersburg. In an interview with NRK news, he said, "It seems we have now entered a phase where the Russians are also looking for opportunities for diplomacy."
However, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, stated that Moscow is willing to hear opinions but does not expect any "miracles." Donald Trump, the U.S. President, reiterated on Tuesday that he wants Zelensky to achieve a "deal."
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