Ineffective negotiator: Expert explains why Witkoff won’t succeed in Kremlin
Photo: Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
There’s little reason to place faith in Moscow talks involving Steve Witkoff, as he has already proven to be an ineffective negotiator, said historian and diplomat Roman Bezsmertnyi in a comment to RBC-Ukraine’s YouTube channel.
According to him, Witkoff failed in negotiations concerning the Middle East and Iran. This fact was noted both in Israel and the United States.
"He did an absolutely terrible job in Iran nuclear deal negotiations, and that’s being pointed out now in both Israel and the US. There is no point in expecting any results from him in the Kremlin, especially anything positive for Ukraine," the diplomat said.
Witkoff's recent trip to Moscow drew sharp criticism, especially after he voiced the idea about transferring three or four regions to Ukraine. The expert emphasized that Witkoff had been subjected to over four hours of pressure in the style of the KGB-FSB, and the result was clear - he went on to echo Kremlin messages in Washington and Paris.
"It gives the impression that someone implanted a chip in him loaded with Kremlin files," the expert remarked.
He added that each of Witkoff’s visits to Moscow ends with him bringing back a new "landmine" for the negotiation process.
In his view, Witkoff’s involvement poses a potential threat to both Kyiv’s and Washington’s positions. The expert also suggested that Witkoff is being used as a tool of manipulation, possibly even in relation to Donald Trump, and called for either his removal or, at the very least, a clear warning to him that he is being influenced.
"From my perspective, judging by the outcome of this latest meeting, if they don’t want to openly call for his dismissal, they should at least sit him down and explain in simple terms that he’s being manipulated, if he doesn’t realize it. And it’s obvious that every time he returns from Moscow, he’s not the same Witkoff,” Bezsmertnyi concluded.
Witkoff’s statements
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff recently visited Russia, where he met with Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev and later held nearly five hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following these meetings, Reuters reported that Witkoff believes the quickest path to peace in Ukraine involves transferring ownership rights over four eastern Ukrainian regions to Russia, a proposal he also presented to US President Donald Trump.
Witkoff later reiterated that the so-called five territories are key to ending the war in Ukraine.
Peace talks
Ukraine and Russia are currently not engaged in direct peace talks. However, two rounds of negotiations have taken place in Saudi Arabia - one between Ukraine and the US, and another between Washington and Moscow.
More recently, talks were held in London with representatives from Ukraine, the US, the UK, France, and Germany. The meeting was initially planned at the ministerial level, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not attend.
According to media reports, Rubio boycotted the meeting after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a key US proposal to recognize Crimea as Russian territory.
Meanwhile, on April 25, US special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow for further discussions on resolving the war, once again meeting with Vladimir Putin.
