The U.S.’ special envoy to the Middle East dismissed UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer’s plan to send troops to enforce a ceasefire calling the idea “simplistic.”
Starmer proposed the “coalition of the willing” made up of NATO troops and other interested countries earlier this month if a pause in the fighting in Ukraine takes place.
“I think it's a combination of a posture and a pose and a combination of also being simplistic,” Steve Witkoff told American pro-Trump political commentator Tucker Carlson in an interview.
“There is this sort of notion that we have all got to be like [British wartime prime minister] Winston Churchill,” he continued.
Witkoff also denied that Russia has plans to attack Europe in the future. “That is preposterous by the way. We have something called NATO that we did not have in World War Two," he told Carlson.
Witkoff met Russian leader Vladimir Putin 10 days ago to discuss negotiations for a ceasefire. “I don't regard Putin as a bad guy,” he told Carlson. “He’s super smart.”
Putin agreed last week to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities temporarily but declined to endorse a full 30-day ceasefire that Trump hoped would be the first step toward a permanent peace deal. Ukraine accepted Trump’s 30-day proposal.
Kyiv, which has said it would be willing to take part in such a partial ceasefire if a document setting out its terms is agreed, has accused Russia of not abiding by Putin’s order, something Moscow denies.
Two sides to every story
Asked about Western criticism of Putin, Witkoff said he believed there were two sides to every story.
He played down concerns among Washington’s NATO allies that Moscow could be emboldened by a deal and invade other neighbors.
“I just don't see that he wants to take all of Europe. This is a much different situation than it was in World War Two,” Witkoff said.
Throughout the interview Witkoff repeated Putin’s talking points or made statements that are not true, the BBC said.
The envoy could not name which parts of Ukrainian territory Russia is currently occupying.
He said the majority of people living in these regions are Russian speaking, which the BBC pointed out does not mean they support Moscow.
Witkoff said referendums held by Russia in the occupied territories showed high support for Moscow. However, the results of these votes were widely discredited and disputed.
He also said Ukrainian troops in Kursk were surrounded, which is denied by Ukraine's government and uncorroborated by any open-source data.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials began discussing a potential ceasefire in Ukraine on Sunday.
