USA Today Thursday
Oct 22, 2026 · 2 hr · 23 segments
Monday - Friday Noon - 2pm
Oct 22, 2026 · 2 hr · 23 segments
Monday - Friday Noon - 2pm
And beginning with our front page, Putin ready to resume meeting on ending war.
Trump envoy secures release of American from Janine Santucci and Miles J. Herzerhorn of USA Today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkow on October 21 that Moscow is willing in principle to resume talks in November with Ukraine and the United States on ending the war in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Yushakov said.
Witkow flew into St. Petersburg a day after conducting talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
the leaders of Finland and Norway, and European and NATO representatives.
Witkow said he would brief Putin on the Oslo talks, which he described as productive and said had been characterized by some degree of momentum.
The talks, the ninth time that Witkow has met Putin in person, began with a goodwill gesture from Russia, the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 73-year-old retired U.S. schoolteacher held in Russia.
Hubbard was living in Ukraine in February of 2022 when Russia invaded.
He was captured and taken to Moscow where he was sentenced to nearly seven years of being convicted of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
He was designated wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department in January of last year.
Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family, Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social.
Welcome home, Stephen.
It's great to have you back.
Putin announced that Hubbard was released and was at the Polkhovo airport in St. Petersburg in comments published by Russian state media, according to Reuters.
Trump said in his post that the United States didn't make a swap for Hubbard's release and chided the Biden administration for failing to secure the release.
USA Today has reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment.
In recent days, Trump has eased sanctions on Moscow and said the United States would import Russian diesel to lower fuel prices.
The moves drew bipartisan criticism that Trump was favoring Putin over Zelensky.
Zelensky said he hoped for a positive outcome from Witkow's meeting in Russia on October 21st, and that he supports talks between the leaders of Kiev, Washington, and Moscow.
Zelensky said on Fox News that his talks with Witkow and Oslo a day earlier were productive and that Ukraine was ready for diplomacy.
He thanked the United States for restoring intelligence sharing and said he hoped the limitations on Starlink and Starshield satellite services would end soon.
I hope that in, I don't know, some hours, we will have some result.
God bless.
Positive, he said of Witkoff's meeting with Putin.
Zelensky said it was important to have a freeze in the fighting and move to diplomacy and toward an agreement that includes security guarantees, praising Trump's call for ceasefires.
And beginning with our front page, Putin ready to resume meeting on ending war.
Trump envoy secures release of American from Janine Santucci and Miles J. Herzerhorn of USA Today.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkow on October 21 that Moscow is willing in principle to resume talks in November with Ukraine and the United States on ending the war in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Yushakov said.
Witkow flew into St. Petersburg a day after conducting talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
the leaders of Finland and Norway, and European and NATO representatives.
Witkow said he would brief Putin on the Oslo talks, which he described as productive and said had been characterized by some degree of momentum.
The talks, the ninth time that Witkow has met Putin in person, began with a goodwill gesture from Russia, the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 73-year-old retired U.S. schoolteacher held in Russia.
Hubbard was living in Ukraine in February of 2022 when Russia invaded.
He was captured and taken to Moscow where he was sentenced to nearly seven years of being convicted of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.
He was designated wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department in January of last year.
Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family, Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social.
Welcome home, Stephen.
It's great to have you back.
Putin announced that Hubbard was released and was at the Polkhovo airport in St. Petersburg in comments published by Russian state media, according to Reuters.
Trump said in his post that the United States didn't make a swap for Hubbard's release and chided the Biden administration for failing to secure the release.
USA Today has reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment.
In recent days, Trump has eased sanctions on Moscow and said the United States would import Russian diesel to lower fuel prices.
The moves drew bipartisan criticism that Trump was favoring Putin over Zelensky.
Zelensky said he hoped for a positive outcome from Witkow's meeting in Russia on October 21st, and that he supports talks between the leaders of Kiev, Washington, and Moscow.
Zelensky said on Fox News that his talks with Witkow and Oslo a day earlier were productive and that Ukraine was ready for diplomacy.
He thanked the United States for restoring intelligence sharing and said he hoped the limitations on Starlink and Starshield satellite services would end soon.
I hope that in, I don't know, some hours, we will have some result.
God bless.
Positive, he said of Witkoff's meeting with Putin.
Zelensky said it was important to have a freeze in the fighting and move to diplomacy and toward an agreement that includes security guarantees, praising Trump's call for ceasefires.
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