Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised White House envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday for remarks that seemed to justify Russia’s annexation of parts of Ukraine and recently praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
In an interview with right-wing podcast host Tucker Carlson, Witkoff made remarks that were interpreted in Kyiv as further evidence of the shift towards Russia by some members of US President Donald Trump’s administration.
“A lot of the information spread by some people and the person you mentioned… are very much in line with the messages of the Kremlin,” Zelensky responds to a question about Witkoff’s interview.
Trump’s envoy stated, “There’s a view within the country of Russia that these are Russian territories.”
Credit: WSJ
He pointed to several Russian-conducted referendums in occupied areas that were denounced as unlawful by Ukraine and a large portion of the international community while ostensibly demonstrating support for Moscow’s control.
“No one can legitimise these referendums because they were held at gunpoint,” Zelensky stated, noting that “no one recognises these territories as Russian.”
