Vance stands by Witkoff amid backlash over Putin remarks
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance defends President's envoy Steve Witkoff on Ukraine issues. "Turns out a lot of diplomacy boils down to a simple skill: don't be an idiot," he wrote. In a recent interview, Witkoff claimed, among other things, that Vladimir Putin is not a "bad person."
- Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, came under fire after an interview with pro-Russian commentator Tucker Carlson. He claimed, among other things, that he doesn’t see Putin as a "bad person."
- Witkoff partially retracted his controversial statements regarding Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories.
- U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance defends Witkoff, highlighting his successes and diplomatic skills.
"Steve Witkoff is a great guy doing an incredible job. The people sniping at him are mad that he is succeeding where they failed for 40 years," Vance wrote on platform X. "Turns out a lot of diplomacy boils down to a simple skill: don’t be an idiot," he added.
Vance spoke out in defense of one of the participants in the talks with Russia, formally a U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, after criticism of his Friday interview with pro-Russian commentator Tucker Carlson.
Witkoff claimed in the interview that he doesn’t consider Vladimir Putin a "bad guy" and seemed to legitimize the sham referendums held in the territories annexed by Russia, stating that "the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule." He also approvingly recounted a conversation with Putin, in which the Russian leader told him he prayed for Donald Trump after an attempt on his life. He further asserted that Russia doesn’t want to take over all of Ukraine nor intends to attack NATO.
Witkoff retracted some statements
In a later interview on Sunday with Fox News, Witkoff partially retracted his statements suggesting the legitimacy of the annexation of Ukrainian territories. He only stated that Russia claims rights to them, and he doesn’t take sides, but reiterated that he doesn’t see Putin as an evil man, insisting the conflict is not "black and white." He again assessed that Putin doesn’t have the ambition to take control of the rest of Ukraine or attack Europe.
- I just don’t see Putin wanting to take over all of Europe. I take him at his word. I think Europeans are coming around to this view too - he said.
A wave of criticism against Trump's envoy
The statements by the main participant in negotiations with Russia drew a wave of criticism both in America and Europe. Commentators, even conservative ones, accused Witkoff of naivety, lack of knowledge, and repeating Kremlin narratives. Conservative columnist Marc Thiessen commented on platform X that Witkoff is completely unprepared for his role.
- He’s dealing with a KGB mastermind in psyops who is playing him like a cat with a mouse in its paws - he said. His opinion was supported by Republican Congressman Don Bacon from Nebraska. Fox News commentator Brit Hume criticized Witkoff for relativizing Putin's crimes and aggression and asserting that "both sides of a story and has certainly played fair with you."
- Putin is a tyrant and his political opponents are often defenestrated. I wonder what this wizard thinks is the other side of those stories - Hume said.
Trump's envoy's statements were also criticized by, among others, "Wall Street Journal," former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, and former American diplomats, while the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that Witkoff "uncritically amplified a number of Russian demands, claims, and justifications regarding the war in Ukraine during an interview on March 21."
Witkoff, who like Trump comes from New York and the real estate industry, has been a friend of the president for many years. Although initially appointed as a special envoy for the Middle East, he also took a key role in negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, meeting twice with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
