Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has publicly rejected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposal to build an international security coalition for Ukraine, calling it “a posture and a pose” rooted in a “simplistic” and outdated mindset.
Speaking during an interview with pro-Trump media personality Tucker Carlson, Witkoff also sparked controversy by praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he “liked” him and describing him as “super smart.”
“I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy,” Witkoff said, recounting a recent meeting with the Russian leader where Putin allegedly expressed sympathy for Trump following an assassination attempt and even commissioned a portrait of Trump as a personal gift.
Throughout the interview, Witkoff repeated a number of disputed or false Russian narratives, including claims that Ukraine is “a false country” and that the five partially occupied regions of Ukraine should be recognized as Russian territory.
When asked to name the regions, Witkoff struggled, referring only to Donbas, Crimea, and vaguely referencing “two others.” The correct five are Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea.
He also claimed that all four partially occupied regions had held referendums in which the “overwhelming majority” of residents voted to join Russia—votes widely dismissed as illegitimate by international observers and held only in select areas under Russian military control.
Witkoff further stated that the regions are “Russian-speaking,” suggesting this justified Russian claims—despite the fact that many Russian-speaking Ukrainians oppose Russian occupation and identify strongly as Ukrainian.
The comments came ahead of upcoming U.S.-led ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia, where delegations from Ukraine and Russia are expected to meet separately on Sunday and Monday.
In the meantime, the conflict on the ground has intensified. Ukrainian authorities say a Russian drone strike on Kyiv overnight killed three civilians, including a five-year-old child, and left eight others injured.
On Friday, a separate strike in Zaporizhzhia killed a family of three, while Russia claimed on Sunday it had intercepted 59 Ukrainian drones over southern regions and Crimea.
Witkoff sharply criticized Keir Starmer’s plan to establish a “coalition of the willing” to provide post-war military guarantees to Ukraine.
“It’s this idea that we all have to be like Winston Churchill again,” Witkoff said mockingly. “That’s preposterous. We have NATO. The Russians are not marching across Europe.”
Looking ahead, Witkoff floated Trump’s vision for future U.S.-Russia cooperation, should relations normalize. He suggested joint efforts in Arctic energy policy, shared sea lanes, LNG distribution to Europe, and even collaboration on artificial intelligence.
“Who doesn’t want to see the U.S. and Russia doing good things together?” he asked.
Critics have condemned Witkoff’s remarks for minimizing Russian aggression, undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty, and echoing Kremlin propaganda.
The interview adds fresh controversy to U.S. ceasefire efforts and casts doubt on Washington’s neutrality, just as talks aimed at halting the war enter a critical phase.
