Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mocked U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff after Witkoff called Russian leader Vladimir Putin a “humanitarian.” The remark came after a three-hour meeting between Witkoff and Putin in St. Petersburg, shortly before Russia launched a large-scale attack involving drones and ballistic missiles against Ukraine.

During the meeting, Witkoff praised Putin for freeing American citizen Stephen Hubbard. The retired English teacher, who is over 70, had been detained on allegations that he fought on Ukraine’s side. Hubbard denies the allegations.

“You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian; you are also a humanitarian, sir, and I applaud that,” Witkoff told Putin. Video of the compliment spread rapidly on social media and drew disbelief from commentators on both the political right and left.

In a statement posted on the social network X, Zelensky used the same description sarcastically. He said that since the previous evening, Russian “humanitarians” had launched three waves of ballistic missiles at Kyiv, using 21 missiles.

According to Zelensky, residential buildings, energy facilities, railway-station and metro infrastructure, shopping centers and business sites were hit or damaged. A monastery was also among the affected locations. Ukrainian emergency services worked at all the damaged sites, while 12 Ukrainian regions came under Russian attack overnight.

Zelensky said 34 people, including five children, were injured in Kyiv and elsewhere in the country. The same statement said that two deaths had been confirmed at that point. Later reports listed fatalities in several regions: a man in Sumy, a woman in Kharkiv, three people in Zaporizhzhia region and two in Donetsk region. Fifteen people were injured in the strikes on the Ukrainian capital.

The attacks damaged metro infrastructure near the Southern Bridge, restricting travel between parts of Kyiv. In the early hours, Ukraine’s air force warned of more ballistic missiles heading toward the capital and urged residents to remain in shelters.

“Almost immediately after another round of talks, Russia launched a targeted attack. This means there has been no real change in its attitude toward everything that is happening,” Zelensky wrote. He said negotiations should continue, but argued that when Russia responds to talks with ballistic missiles, real pressure is needed to stop the killings.

The Ukrainian president called for stronger air defenses, rapid missile deliveries, the ability to destroy ballistic-missile launchers and sanctions over the war. He thanked the countries and people supporting Ukraine and said civilian lives must be protected.

Attacks also continued on Russian territory. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two people were injured in a large-scale attack involving 630 drones aimed at the region, 163 of which were approaching the Russian capital. Another man was injured in Lipetsk region, while Russian air defenses destroyed 70 drones.

U.S. President Donald Trump tried to strike a more optimistic tone after the Witkoff-Putin meeting, saying the negotiators might now be closer than ever to ending the war. The Kremlin said Russia was, in principle, ready to resume trilateral talks involving the United States and Ukraine.

Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, said the talks could resume in mid-November, after the U.S. midterm elections, and that Moscow wanted them to focus on security during the postwar period. Zelensky said Ukraine also supported restarting the trilateral format.

Ushakov added that Witkoff had briefed Putin on new aspects of the positions held by European countries and Kyiv, discussed during Witkoff’s meeting with Zelensky in Oslo. He said, however, that the proposals contained little concrete substance. Ushakov also said a summit between Putin, Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping was being prepared for next month in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, describing it as the first meeting of its kind in history.

Witkoff said on social media that his discussions with Putin had been constructive, but that important work remained. He added that discussions among the United States, Ukraine and Russia would continue at a technical level.

Journalist and author Anne Applebaum questioned how the word “humanitarian” could apply to a leader whose forces kill civilians and abduct children, while also being accused of permitting torture and rape.

Witkoff arrived in Russia on Tuesday after meeting Zelensky in Oslo, with the goal of easing the serious rift between Trump and the Ukrainian president. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also took part in the discussions with Putin remotely.

Trump returned to power in January 2025 after promising to end the war within 24 hours, but more than a year of U.S.-led negotiations produced no breakthrough. In recent days, he again distanced himself from Ukraine and turned his attention back toward Putin, announcing an agreement under which Russia would sell diesel fuel and reduce prices that had risen as a result of its war with Iran.

Source: dnes.bg