United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that there will soon be trilateral conversations between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. in hopes of getting the war to end.
Witkoff and Special Envoy Jared Kushner have been holding conversations with both Ukrainian and Russian representatives, including Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even though tensions have recently strained between Trump and Zelensky in light of a recent U.S.-Russia diesel agreement.
The president has suggested that Zelensky has been unwilling to make a deal to finish the war, and he's suggested in recent days that Ukraine should get a new leader.
Today, Stephen Hubbard is free and headed back home to his family. Stephen is a proud American citizen, retired teacher, and U.S. Air Force veteran who loves our country. Now, he is on his way back to a family who loves him, a President who never gave up on him, and a nation that proudly welcomes him home. It was my honor to be with Stephen in St. Petersburg today before he departed for the United States. President Trump called Stephen to check on him and reaffirm his unwavering commitment to bringing all Americans wrongfully detained home. Stephen joins more than 110 Americans who @POTUS has freed since returning to office, including Robert Gilman, Ksenia Karelina, and Marc Fogel. This release was not part of an exchange - and we extend our thanks to President Putin for releasing him on President Trump’s request. Thank you to @SecRubio, @JaredKushner, @CIADirector, Senior Director for Counterterrorism @SebGorka and the rest of the team for working tirelessly to achieve President Trump’s mission. President Trump does not leave Americans behind and will continue fighting to bring them all home 🇺🇸.
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) October 21, 2026
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“These discussions were constructive, and will continue with trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine at the technical level,” Witkoff posted Wednesday in light of recent conversations in Oslo, Norway, as well as St. Petersburg, Russia.
“While there is still important work left to do, President Trump remains committed to seeing this war end and achieving a comprehensive, durable peace that will provide security and prosperity for generations to come,” the special envoy continued.
The announcement of trilateral talks comes as Stephen Hubbard, an American citizen detained in Russia for charges related to helping Ukraine in the war, was released and is now headed back to the U.S.
“The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return - an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday morning.
“This major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden Administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin. Stephen is on his way back home,” he continued.
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