Cozying Up to the Bear: Witkoff Praises Putin After Moscow Tete-a-Tete
- Putin praised in meeting with Trump's emissary in Moscow
In a surprising turn of events, Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff foresees a high-profile sit-down between Vladimir Putin and the POTUS in the near future. According to Witkoff, Putin's hospitality was 'generous' when he welcomed the American diplomat to Moscow.
Witkoff, having traveled to Moscow on a couple of occasions in the recent past, has met with Putin and has arrangements linked to ending the Russian belligerence toward Ukraine on the agenda.
Dismissing Putin as a 'bad guy,' Witkoff highlighted the intricacies of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, stating that it's never just about one person. Praising his interaction with Putin during their first meeting, he admitted that their friendship has blossomed.
Prayers for Trump
According to Witkoff, his meetings with Putin are all about forging trust, a crucial aspect in dealing with a major nuclear power. Witkoff further revealed that Putin confided in him that he had prayed for Trump after the latter survived an assassination attempt last year.
In anticipation of discussions aimed at halting the war, Witkoff emphasized the importance of achieving compromise for both parties—the Russians and the Ukrainians. Mentioning the Europeans as part of the talks, Witkoff expressed optimism, stating that an agreement which is acceptable to all stakeholders is the penultimate goal.
- Vladimir Putin
- Donald Trump
- Steve Witkoff
- Ukraine
- Aggression
- Moscow
- US President
- Russia
- Tete-a-Tete
Frequent Connections and Controversies
- Signal Group Chat: At a time when Witkoff was engrossed in diplomatic affairs with Putin, he got added to a Signal group comprising other senior administration officials. The focus of their discussions revolved around strategic military operations in the Middle East, disconnected from Ukraine's conflict [1].
- Signal App and Security Concerns: While Signal's end-to-end encryption ensures substantial security, the application's usage in high-stakes diplomatic negotiations has raised concerns. Cybersecurity analysts question the wisdom of using commercial messaging platforms for sensitive discussions as Russian intelligence efforts to decode such communications may lead to catastrophic blunders for U.S. national security interests [1].
Legislative and Political Reactions
- Bipartisan Doubts: Lawmakers from both parties have expressed reservations about using commercial messaging applications for deliberations on military and strategic operations. The National Security Council, however, has defended the use of various communication platforms without offering clarification on Witkoff's conversations with Putin [1].
- Steve Witkoff, in anticipation of discussions aimed at ending Russian aggression towards Ukraine, emphasized the importance of achieving compromise between the Russians and the Ukrainians, and stressed that an agreement acceptable to all stakeholders, including the European Union, is the penultimate goal.
- Witkoff, during his first meeting with Putin, admitted that their friendship has blossomed and revealed that Putin confided in him that he had prayed for Trump after the latter survived an assassination attempt last year.
- In a surprising turn of events, Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has met with Putin on several occasions, is foreseeing a high-profile sit-down between Vladimir Putin and the POTUS, and has dismissed Putin as a 'bad guy' in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, stating that it's never just about one person.
