Cover image: Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with US special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 21, 2026. via REUTERS - Gavriil Grigorov

Trump faces fresh questions over ties to 'humanitarian' Putin

21 Oct 2026, 18:53 · France 24

US President Donald Trump's pivot away from Ukraine has triggered fresh questions about his attachment to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the man a top American envoy flattered on Wednesday as a "humanitarian. Trump has cast his dealings with Putin as part of a mega-deal that has secured the release of American detainee Stephen Hubbard -- and which Trump says will end Russia's war on Ukraine. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Kharkiv.