Where did Steve Witkoff come from? Trump's partner for golf “knows nothing about Russia or Ukraine”
The Russian editorial office of BBC News in the silhouette of Steve Witkoff published on Friday is estimated that the US foreign policy is now shaped by not diplomats and experts, but the relatives of President Donald Trump. He cites critical opinions that Witkoff “knows nothing about Russia or Ukraine.”
A businessman from New York, who has no experience in international matters, the White House entrusted the task of ending the war in Ukraine as soon as possible – reports the BBC. Reminds you that Witkoff is a real estate developer, billionaire, Trump's friend and his golf partner.
He notes that before Trump's return to the White House Witkoff was not very known abroad and did not deal with international matters, But he was entrusted with three directions related to international crises: Russia (including her invasion of Ukraine), the Middle East and Iran. “Witkoff's participation in conversations with Moscow was a surprise even for those who carefully watched the new American administration” – adds the BBC, noting that originally this field was to be dealt with by another special envoy of the US president – Keith Kellogg. However, on February 11, 2025, Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow, where he arrived on a private plane.
After the second meeting with Putin (March 13) he gave a television interview, which became a “alarm bell” for fans of Ukraine – reports the BBC. He reminds that Witkoff said then that the key issue in the conflict is the problem of “Russian -speaking inhabitants” of Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. He also said that they voted in “referendums” for joining these areas to Russia, as well as about the “lap” of Ukrainian forces in the Russian Kurski region – who, however, were not encircled there.
“This wording is almost a literal repetition of the Kremlin rhetoric. It was something unexpected to hear her from an American official, not at a briefing in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” notes the BBC. He adds that “Witkoff's statements drew even more attention, which clearly showed that he had problems with knowledge of facts on this subject. For example, he visible difficulty mentioned the names of the annexed regions of Ukraine. Then he agreed with incorrect claims (conducting journalist's interview) Tucker Carslon, that he received all the areas of Kiev from Nikita Chruszczów (which he was administratively to Ukraine as part of the Soviet Union – PAP).
“If I can think, Witkoff knows nothing about Rsoji or Ukraine, he knows nothing about their history, about armed conflicts, about how to talk about a party possible. During several meetings with Putin, he showed himself as an extremely susceptible man to manipulation,” said BBC Trump advisor on national security John Bolton.
He believes that “current high -ranking officials have various biographies, views, philosophy, experience and level of competence, but they have one common feature: they are devoted to Trump. That's what he wanted and he got it. It will not be beneficial for him or the country.”
The BBC estimates that Trump after the defeat in previous elections blamed her state bureaucracy for her and now “began war with her”, filling all key positions “above all with people he trusts”.
In total, the US President personally dealt with relations with Russia from the 1980s, based on experienced and trusted colleagues from the National Security Council, the Department of State, Pentagon, Special Services and the US Embassy in Russia – reminds BBC. Now, however, American diplomacy works according to completely new rules. These principles differ even from the practice of Trump's first term – then he was more based on people who belonged to his administration and specialized in Russia. Now, when personal loyalty is valued primarily, this sphere is dealt with by a group of people with little European work experience.
The interlocutor of the BBC, who worked in the White House, said that in Witkoff's team there are no experts for Russia and it can be assumed that the president's envoy is preparing for the talks himself. Two were high -ranking officials of the State Department expressed surprise in a conversation with the BBC that Witkoff's knowledge about Russia is limited and that he has no people with whom he would work together during visits to Moscow.
Former US ambassador to Poland Daniel Fried told the BBC that Witkoff's statements are impressed as if he had undoubtedly conveyed the Rhetoric of the Kremlin. Commenting on American proposals discussed by the media, assuming, among others Recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, Fried pointed out that Russia's maximalistic demands should not be a starting point for conversations. As the diplomat explains, this is the standard tactic of Russia and Witkoff should have recognized it, “otherwise he will conclude a very bad agreement for its president.”
Fried also mentions that he concluded from his experiences with the Russians that there is a rule in conversations with them: “the degree of nonsense that they will tell you is simply proportional to how much ignorant they consider you.”
One of the former White House officials told the BBC that even the bosses of two key institutions: diplomacy and the National Security Council: Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz did not take great participation. According to John Bolton, both “did not become supporters of a Russian view of war”, but the question is “did they try to convince Trump and did not succeed, or did they not try to try about it at all?” (PAP)
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