Witkoff commented on elections in Ukraine and time for Zelenskyy to 'finalize the deal' for peace
Photo: Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, expressed the opinion that holding elections in Ukraine for a new head of state is a necessity, according to an interview with Witkoff with the controversial media figure Tucker Carlson.
This is how the White House representative responded to Tucker Carlson's complimentary remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which repeated the Kremlin's absurd claim about his supposed illegitimacy and, consequently, the alleged impossibility of signing a potential peace or ceasefire agreement in the future.
"Do you think, Zelensky, the question of Zelensky... I think there are good things to say about Zelensky. I think he's got a kind of bravery, which I admire. I think the Ukrainian military is legit brave, doomed, because they're just fighting a much bigger country. You know, it's not gonna win.But I think they've behaved with variance. The Russian position is he's not elected and so we can't sign any kind of treaty with him. Do you think there will be elections in Ukraine?" the media figure said.
In response, Witkoff expressed confidence that elections in Ukraine would be held.
"Yes, there will be. They've agreed to it. There will be elections in Ukraine. And I agree with you. I think Zelensky is trying his best" he stated.
At the same time, Trump's special representative added that he agreed with his interlocutor regarding the Ukrainian president.
He also expressed the opinion that Zelenskyy is in a very difficult position, as he is facing a country with nuclear weapons, whose population is four times larger than Ukraine's.
According to Vitkoff, this is the best time for Zelenskyy to finalize an agreement, which US President Donald Trump could fulfill.
The White House special representative effectively supported the latest conditions set by the Russian side, which supposedly influenced their willingness to negotiate for peace. Among other demands voiced by the Kremlin is holding elections for a new president in Ukraine, where martial law is in place due to Russian aggression.
Issue of elections in Ukraine
In February, Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, stated that the US wants the Ukrainian authorities to hold elections by the end of 2025, especially if a ceasefire agreement with Russia is reached.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that after a meeting between US and Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia, Trump claimed that Zelenskyy’s trust rating in Ukraine was only 4%. Later, Trump even called the Ukrainian leader "a dictator without elections." However, after a journalist's question, the US president responded that he could not believe he had said such a thing.
However, according to Western media, during the meeting between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia on March 11, the issue of holding elections in Ukraine was not discussed. The key topic of the meeting was the conclusion of the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that martial law in the country will only be lifted after the war ends, and elections will be held under the law thereafter.
