Witkoff called the refusal to negotiate with Russia on the conflict in Ukraine absurd.
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- Witkoff called the refusal to negotiate with Russia on the conflict in Ukraine absurd.
Special Envoy of the US President Stephen Witkoff commented on the criticism of his contacts with the Russian leadership on May 9 in an interview with the Breitbart News portal, defending the approach of the administration of the American leader Donald Trump to international negotiations.
"That's why the idea is that we shouldn't talk to him (Russian President Vladimir Putin. — Ed.), is absurd, or that I should talk to him and condition these negotiations on the possibility of bringing an interpreter or other people there," Witkoff said.
President Trump's special envoy said he had established contact with Putin on the personal instructions of the head of the White House. According to him, dialogue with key participants in the conflict is necessary. As an example of the effectiveness of the current administration's approach, he cited the situation with the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
"The previous administration negotiated for 15 months to no avail. We fixed the inefficient process and returned many hostages alive," he said.
Witkoff also criticized the traditional approach of the State Department, calling it "inert, bureaucratic and ineffective." He also stressed the importance of face-to-face meetings without intermediaries.
"My talks with Putin were conducted without outsiders. It worked better — I could then inform our management in detail," he concluded.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled on April 30 that Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that Russia is ready to negotiate on the Ukrainian conflict without preconditions is still relevant. However, no information has been received from Kiev on this matter.
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