Steve Witkoff Faces GOP Firestorm After Labeling Vladimir Putin a ‘Humanitarian’
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff draws sharp condemnation from Republican lawmakers after praising Vladimir Putin as a humanitarian during a meeting in Russia.
POLICY WIRE — St. Petersburg, Russia — U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is confronting a wave of intense criticism following his decision to label Russian President Vladimir Putin a humanitarian. The remarks were made during a meeting in St. Petersburg, where Witkoff thanked the Russian leader for the release of 74-year-old American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been held in Russia for four years and officially classified as wrongfully detained.
Addressing Putin directly on Wednesday, Witkoff stated, You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that, I commend you, and I thank you again.
The diplomatic encounter was intended to facilitate progress toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, which was initiated by Putin four and a half years ago. This meeting occurred as Russia continues to escalate military strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian targets in an effort to destabilize the power grid ahead of the winter season.
The envoy’s comments triggered immediate rebukes from prominent Republican figures. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis expressed his outrage on social media, writing, WTF, Steve? Look up the definition of ‘humanitarian.’ What an embarrassing and outrageous thing to say. You should go back to Ukraine and ask the families of the children Putin has kidnapped and murdered whether they agree your friend Putin is a ‘humanitarian.’
Texas Sen. John Cornyn also weighed in on the controversy, rejecting the characterization by stating, No. Putin is a stone cold killer. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, a frequent critic of the current administration’s Russia policy, labeled the incident as another embarrassment.
The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of shifting U.S. policy toward Moscow. Last week, President Trump bypassed Congress to waive new sanctions on Russia, a move that defied the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. This decision followed a recent easing of sanctions on Russian diesel and a new agreement to import the fuel into the American market.
Meanwhile, tensions between the White House and Kyiv appear to be rising. On Tuesday, President Trump remarked that Russia has been fine regarding the situation in Ukraine, suggesting that the country has not been doing much in the conflict.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
