Trump’s special envoy criticizes Starmer's Ukraine Plan, reiterates Russian narrative

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposal for an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine has been criticized by Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who dismissed it as “a posture and a pose.” Witkoff argued that the idea stemmed from a simplistic view held by Starmer and other European leaders who believe they must act in the same manner as Winston Churchill.

According to BBC, in an interview with Tucker Carlson, a journalist known for his pro-Trump stance, Witkoff praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "super smart" and stating that he didn’t view Putin as a bad person. Witkoff, who had met with Putin just ten days prior, described the Russian leader as gracious and upfront, adding that Putin had prayed for Trump after the assassination attempt against him last year. Additionally, Witkoff shared that Putin had commissioned a portrait of Trump as a gift, which the former president reportedly appreciated.

During the interview, Witkoff reiterated several Russian viewpoints, such as the claim that Ukraine was a "false country" and questioned when the world would officially recognize the territories occupied by Russia in Ukraine. Witkoff, who is leading US ceasefire negotiations with both Russia and Ukraine, struggled to name all five regions of Ukraine that have been annexed or partially occupied by Russian forces. When asked about these regions, he only mentioned four, failing to correctly identify the five: Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea. He referred to the Donbas region, which includes parts of Luhansk and Donetsk, but left out the other regions.