Witkoff Called Putin a 'Humanitarian' After Hubbard's Release. Republican Senators and Downing Street Push Back

The one concrete result of Steve Witkoff's Oct. 21 trip to see Vladimir Putin was the release of Stephen Hubbard. The remark Witkoff made over it has become its own story.

"You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian," Witkoff told Putin, in a clip posted from Russian state media. "You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that. I commend you, and I thank you again."

Hubbard is a 74-year-old retired Michigan teacher. He was detained in eastern Ukraine in April 2022 and had been held in Russia for four years. Witkoff said later on X that the release "was not part of an exchange" and that Putin freed him at Trump's request.

Republicans break with the envoy

The backlash came first from inside Trump's own party.

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina wrote: "WTF, Steve? Look up the definition of 'humanitarian.'" He told Witkoff to go back to Ukraine and ask families of the children Putin has kidnapped and murdered whether they agree.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas wrote on X: "No. Putin is a stone cold killer." Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska called it "another embarrassment."

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, asked on the campaign trail, said Putin is "a warmonger, a thug" and "certainly not a humanitarian." Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa said Putin "is not our friend, and he is certainly no humanitarian."

William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine under Bush and Obama, said it is "absolutely a good thing" that Hubbard is coming home. He added: "We should not give the Russians any credit for releasing someone who should not have been in jail." He called the humanitarian label "cringeworthy."

Trump's answer

Asked at a White House roundtable whether he would describe Putin that way, Trump said: "I guess you have to say for that particular purpose, for the purpose of allowing a man who was thinking he was going to be in prison for life out." He added, "I wouldn't say anything one way or the other."

Trump tied his caution to the diplomacy. "We're negotiating with Russia to stop the war with Ukraine," he said, and the U.S. has been "pretty happy with Russia that they have not gotten involved with Iran."

He has also said Russia and Ukraine are "maybe now the closest we've been" to ending the war.

The case for flattery

Some defenders accept the premise that the praise was theater. Nathan Sales, who was counterterrorism coordinator in Trump's first term, said on NewsNation that diplomacy sometimes means saying "embarrassing" things. "You don't have to believe them," he said. He added that the U.S. must be clear Putin is "no humanitarian."

Sales did not let Putin off the hook. "An arsonist doesn't get credit for calling the fire department," he said, and Putin "doesn't get credit for releasing a hostage that never should have been taken in the first place."

Fox News analyst Brit Hume made a similar split on "Special Report" on Oct. 22. He called the description absurd, citing Putin's actions against civilians. He suggested the flattery was a tactic to free a man held four years, but said Witkoff went too far.

London and Kyiv

Downing Street rejected the label outright. "We certainly do not recognise that characterisation," a spokesperson said. "President Putin has killed thousands of people, both innocent Ukrainians and his own Russian people, who he has sent to their deaths on the frontline."

The spokesperson accused Putin of "starving children and the elderly of the heat and warmth" and of systematically targeting critical infrastructure.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander told LBC that Britain sees Putin as someone who illegally invaded Ukraine and whose government has been responsible for attempted assassinations on UK soil.

Asked whether London would press the point directly with Washington, the spokesperson said the government engages regularly with partners on Ukraine and would continue to.

The timing sharpened the criticism. Within hours of the meeting, Russian missiles and drones hit Kyiv. At least one person was killed and 22 were injured, including four children, according to the HuffPost UK account. A drone strike hit Kharkiv while Putin and Witkoff were talking.

Ukraine's foreign minister said: "This night, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like."

CBS News reports that Russia has intensified strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure over the past month, aiming to cripple Ukraine's power grid before winter.

What the Kremlin agreed to

The talks themselves produced a narrow commitment. The Kremlin said Putin agreed to resume U.S.-mediated talks with Ukraine. They would be at a technical level, could restart as early as Nov. 10, and could be held in Abu Dhabi. They would focus on security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine after the war.

The last three-way round was in February.

The meeting lasted more than three hours, per TASS. Kirill Dmitriev attended in person. Jared Kushner joined remotely because he was too ill to travel. Witkoff said he asked Putin to review documents laying out approaches to a settlement.

Putin said Trump is paying attention to the issue "primarily for humanitarian reasons" and thanked Melania Trump for her role on humanitarian matters.

Zelenskyy, who met Witkoff the day before, told Fox News Ukraine would accept freezing the front line. "Right now, we have to freeze," he said, calling it the "minimum" Kyiv needs. He said he would then seek security guarantees from Trump and European allies.

Whether technical talks on Nov. 10 produce anything remains unclear while Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure continue. The Kremlin has not committed to a ceasefire of any kind.