Skip to content
Witkoff praises Putin as 'a humanitarian' episode artwork

Oct 21, 2026 33 min

Witkoff praises Putin as 'a humanitarian'

from BBC Hosted by BBC

Russia has released a retired American teacher who was jailed for allegedly fighting on behalf of Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff. Mr Witkoff praised the decision, calling Mr Putin "a humanitarian", while also thanking him for a diesel deal that has angered Kyiv's allies. The US envoy, who had attended talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway on Tuesday, also asked Mr Putin to consider trilateral peace talks with Ukraine. Also: Hungarian police arrest the former central bank chief György Matolcsy on suspicion of fraud. South Korea's newest celebrity, Bukangi the shark, returns to sea after a third rescue attempt in Busan harbour. Australian MP Helen Haines loses both legs after alleged car attack, as suspect is charged with multiple offences. The UK government gives the green light to a new gas field in North Sea, despite protests from environment campaigners. The BBC visits Springfield, Ohio, ahead of the US midterm elections, speaking to Haitian migrants fearing deportation. Why Elon Musk wants to merge SpaceX and Tesla, and the Hokusai Mount Fuji photos going on display in London.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Witkoff praises Putin as 'a humanitarian'

0:00 33:14

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of BBC?

This episode is 33 minutes long.

When was this BBC episode published?

This episode was published on October 21, 2026.

Can I download this BBC episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.