Russian President Vladimir Putin does not aim to conquer all of Europe, according to Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, in a television interview.
Witkoff, initially Trump’s Middle East envoy, has travelled to Moscow twice in recent weeks to meet Putin directly. Their discussions included ending the Russian war against Ukraine. Witkoff consistently spoke positively about President Putin afterwards.
In an interview with conservative political commentator and former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, Witkoff echoed Russia’s claims over Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. He referred to the referendums held in these regions where “an overwhelming majority indicated they wanted to become part of Russia.”
These referendums were dismissed by Ukraine and the vast majority of the international community, including the United States, as a sham.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Witkoff stated in the television interview that the conflict cannot be resolved “without communicating with both parties, understanding their needs, and bringing them together.”
On Sunday evening, a meeting is scheduled in the Saudi capital between Ukrainian and American representatives. The following day, talks are planned between the United States and Russia.
