Trump Adviser Draws Ire for Saying He Takes Putin 'at His Word'

 https://www.newsweek.com/steve-witkoff-ire-takes-vladimir-putin-word-2049307

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff drew ire online for his comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin—chiefly that he would "take him at his word" as talks for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine continue in their ongoing war.

"I just don't see that he [Putin] wants to take all of Europe...I take him at his word in this sense, and I believe the Europeans are beginning to come to that belief, too," he said.

When pressed on Putin's characterization as a tyrant or "someone whose political opponents often die," Witkoff countered that he's "never, ever seen a situation where there isn't two sides to a story, it's just never as black and white as people want to portray, so there are grievances on both sides."

Yaroslav Trofimov, the Wall Street Journal's chief foreign affairs correspondent, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday: "It's clear from this that the only difference between Steve Witkoff's and Vladmir Putin's views on the war in Ukraine is that Putin actually knows the names of all the five Ukrainian regions he wants to keep."

Former State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller wrote on X on Sunday: "In summary, Witkoff doesn't know the names of all the Ukrainian provinces occupied by Russia, but somehow knows the people there want to join Russia...and believes Putin doesn't want the rest of Ukraine despite him repeatedly saying he does. Ok."