U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

President Donald Trump slammed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and defended his decision to waive sweeping sanctions planned against Russia as an effort to keep Moscow at the negotiating table amid criticism from Kyiv and US lawmakers that it sends the wrong message to the Kremlin.

Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired US school teacher who had been held in Russia on mercenary charges, has been released.

The visit came a day after Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Oct 20 - US special envoy Steve Witkoff is going to discuss the possible release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard from Russian detention with President Vladimir Putin this week, according to people familiar with the matter. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Russia in a recent latest diplomatic development has freed 74-year-old US citizen Stephan Hubbard who was imprisoned in Russia for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in...

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US envoy Steve Witkoff that Moscow was willing to resume stalled, US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said after the two met at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg.