Trump Defends Key russia Negotiator Steve witkoff Amid scrutiny
WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump is standing by Steve Witkoff, his recently appointed negotiator tasked with exploring potential pathways to end the war in Ukraine, despite criticism surrounding Witkoff’s lack of diplomatic experience and past comments perceived as sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The appointment has sparked debate, drawing parallels to earlier scrutiny faced by Jared Kushner when he took on a similar role during the Trump management.
Witkoff now occupies a position previously held by Kushner. Both men appeared together at a February 20th conference in Miami hosted by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, the non-profit arm of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The White House has described Witkoff as a “trusted friend” of the president who voluntarily serves without a salary, covering his own travel expenses, after leaving a “massive business enterprise.” However,experts have questioned Witkoff’s qualifications for such a sensitive diplomatic role.
Adding to the controversy, Witkoff raised eyebrows earlier this year when he appeared on tucker Carlson’s podcast and described Putin as “not a bad guy.” In the same interview, Witkoff articulated his negotiation beliefs: “There’s there’s no doubt whatsoever I’m always trying to put myself in the shoes of the other person as a good deal has to work fair for everybody.”
Real estate entrepreneur Don Peebles, a former fundraiser for President Barack Obama, confirmed this approach, recounting adversarial negotiations with Witkoff. “If I were going to summarize his approach is to find what the other person, other side, wants – and to try to give it to him,” Peebles told NPR. He added that Witkoff likely possesses more high-stakes negotiating experience than many traditional diplomats, recalling a New York real estate deal where Witkoff diffused a tense situation by promising collaboration and highlighting mutual benefit. “He took a very adversarial situation from my perspective and not only got the deal done, but we’ve been friends ever since.”
However, analysts caution that the complexities of the Ukraine war far exceed those of a real estate transaction. Aaron David Miller, a negotiator and analyst for both Republican and Democratic administrations currently at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, believes even seasoned diplomats like Henry Kissinger and James Baker would struggle to secure concessions from Putin.
“Deals are cut when there is urgency,” Miller explained, “And urgency is a function of two things: How much pain the parties are under and what are the prospects for gain right now.” He emphasized the need for a mediator willing to employ both incentives and disincentives, adding, “I just don’t see Putin ready to make the kinds of concessions that would be required to anchor this thing and make it work.”
