'Witkoff must go.' Republicans outraged by his role in Ukraine talks
Photo: US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff (Getty Images)
Steve Witkoff's position as special envoy to the US president raises more and more questions. It's reached the point where Republicans are considering removing him from office, according to Reuters.
How Witkoff violated security protocols
By violating standard security procedures, Witkoff invited Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who is under US sanctions following Russia's invasion, to his private residence for dinner before their meeting at the White House.
According to two individuals familiar with the situation, this caused alarm within the White House and the State Department.
"US officials avoid hosting officials from Russia – which has sophisticated intelligence capabilities – to their homes. The dinner was rescheduled and took place at the White House instead," the journalists report.
Why Republicans are outraged over Witkoff
Witkoff received some support from skeptics within the Republican Party concerning Ukraine, but his proposals caused outrage among other Republicans, who believe that "the Trump administration has turned too sharply toward Moscow."
According to a person familiar with the discussions, "some Republicans on Capitol Hill were so concerned about Witkoff's apparent pro-Russia stance in the Carlson interview" (which took place in late March), that several people later called National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to express their displeasure.
Discussion on Witkoff’s dismissal
According to two US officials and more than a dozen other individuals familiar with internal discussions within the Trump administration, including Western diplomats, some American and European officials are concerned that "as Witkoff pursues Trump's strategy, the Russians are taking advantage of his lack of experience at the negotiating table."
"Witkoff must go, and Rubio must take his place," reads a letter from March 26 by Republican mega-donor Eric Levin.
The letter, sent to a group that includes Republican donors and reviewed by Reuters, was written after Witkoff’s interview with Carlson and his appearance on Fox News, and criticized Witkoff for praising Putin.
What Democrats and Europe think of Witkoff
Democrats are also dissatisfied with the current state of affairs.
"Witkoff and Trump have committed a cardinal sin of diplomacy: they have put their desperation for a deal on full display," said Ned Price, former spokesperson for the State Department under President Joe Biden.
Among US allies, disputes and a lack of progress toward a peace agreement are increasing the sense that "the US lacks a clear plan to end the war in Ukraine."
Two European officials who recently interacted with the US administration said that there is pressure on the negotiating team to achieve results as quickly as possible, and they are concerned that the US may not only take actions that could undermine Ukraine, but also its own European security architecture.
"Officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they had not come away reassured from their discussions and did not feel there were clear final objectives on the American side," the journalists note.
Two senior Western diplomats who maintain contacts with the US administration said they believe Washington has no "clear plan" on how to proceed or what to do if Russia continues to delay decisions on a ceasefire.
"We sometimes hear contradictory things from different parts of the administration. That also adds to the sense that there is no real plan here," said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
What Witkoff said
At the end of March, US President’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, gave an interview to controversial host Tucker Carlson. Witkoff talked about Ukraine, including the ceasefire, NATO membership, and the "key issue" of the war.
In particular, when discussing the "referendums" held by the invaders in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, he claimed that the overwhelming majority of people expressed a desire to be under Russian leadership.
Later, Reuters reported that Witkoff told Donald Trump that the fastest way to peace in Ukraine would be to give Russia ownership of four eastern Ukrainian regions.
