US Envoy Jared Kushner Meets Putin, Russia Releases American Teacher

Negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow are heating up again, even as worries grow in Ukraine that Washington might pull back its support. United States special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have just finished their latest round of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They achieved one concrete result immediately. Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher held captive for over four years.

Witkoff met face-to-face with Putin at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg on Wednesday. Kushner joined the session virtually from across the ocean. These two officials have stepped into leading roles under President Donald Trump to push for an end to Russia's nearly five-year war against Ukraine. That conflict started when Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Eastern Europe back in February 2022.

The atmosphere in Kyiv remains tense despite this diplomatic move. Critics fear the new administration is too willing to yield to Russian demands just to sign a deal. They worry Trump is fostering warm relations with Putin while abandoning his previous hardline stance against the Kremlin. There are serious concerns that Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II could drag on if the US does not maintain pressure.

Here is what actually happened during the meeting in Russia. The Russian president agreed to restart peace talks mediated by the United States. This marks a return to negotiations after months of silence from Moscow. A US official told Al Jazeera that Witkoff and Kushner proposed a trilateral technical meeting focused on security guarantees for both nations once fighting stops. Ukraine accepted this proposal during a separate visit to Oslo, Norway, with American representatives on Tuesday.

The last round of US-mediated talks occurred in February. Those sessions happened just days before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran. The Kremlin, speaking through Reuters, said these new discussions might take place in Abu Dhabi. They could begin as soon as next month if both sides agree to the schedule.

Wednesday's session started with a goodwill gesture from Moscow that freed Hubbard. He is now headed back home to be reunited with his family. Hubbard, who is 74 years old, was arrested in 2022 and sentenced to more than six years for allegedly acting as a Ukrainian mercenary. The United States has consistently argued he was wrongfully detained. President Trump made a direct appeal to Putin on social media Wednesday. He noted that Russia did not ask for a prisoner swap out of respect for him. A US official confirmed Trump spoke directly with Hubbard by phone and reiterated the commitment to bring all wrongly detained Americans home safely.

However, Witkoff's comments drew sharp criticism after he called Putin a humanitarian leader for freeing Hubbard. During the meeting in Saint Petersburg, Witkoff told the Russian president that they both share this trait. He said he salutes Putin as a humanitarian and commends him for his actions. That praise sparked immediate backlash from lawmakers across the political spectrum and human rights activists. They pointed to long-standing accusations of severe abuses under Putin's leadership. US Senator Thom Tillis took to social media to express his shock at the remark.

Tillis, a member of Trump's Republican Party, kept writing that Witkoff needed to look up the definition of "humanitarian".

"What an embarrassing and outrageous thing to say," he said. "You should go back to Ukraine and ask the families of the children Putin has kidnapped and murdered whether they agree your friend Putin is a 'humanitarian'."

Tillis's Senate colleague, Republican John Cornyn, echoed those thoughts in his own response.

"Putin is stone cold killer," he wrote regarding Witkoff's remarks.

US Senator Mark Kelly also blasted Witkoff. He serves on the US Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees. Kelly called Putin a "war criminal".

"In what world is Putin a 'humanitarian?' He's assassinated political rivals and journalists, bombed hospitals, and started a war that has intentionally killed tens of thousands of innocent people, including women and children," Kelly said in an interview.

But members of the Trump administration defended Witkoff amid all this outrage. During a visit to his home state of Ohio, Vice President JD Vance argued that Witkoff had "a job to get done". He indicated that complimenting Putin likely aided the negotiations.

"I agree with Steve Witkoff saying something nice to a person who just released an American hostage," Vance told reporters at the event.

At a White House event on Wednesday, Trump said Witkoff's characterisation of Putin was a "good saying" for "that particular purpose": to release Hubbard.

"But I wouldn't say anything one way or the other," the US president said when pressed further.

The Kremlin said a possible meeting between Trump, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping was discussed during Wednesday's negotiations.

Russian officials said that if the meeting is confirmed, it could take place next month on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China.

"Given that all three heads of state may potentially take part in the summit in China, the subject of such a hypothetical meeting was indeed raised," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

"No specific proposals or agreements were discussed or put forward by anyone, either regarding the meeting itself or the possible agenda and content of that meeting."

The three leaders have never before met for a dedicated trilateral visit.