The US presidential administration is concerned about the style of negotiations of Special Representative Steve Witkoff with Russia and Iran.
Points of attention
- Trump administration expresses concerns over Special Representative Steve Witkoff's negotiation style with Russia and Iran.
- Insiders doubt Witkoff's ability to achieve successful results due to negotiating alone and handling multiple important roles.
Trump questioned Witkoff's abilities as a negotiator
This is reported by the New York Post, citing sources.
President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, former lawyer and real estate investor Steve Witkoff, has angered administration insiders with his approach to negotiations with America's two biggest adversaries.
Witkoff, who has become Trump's de facto personal envoy in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his envoys in addition to Middle East talks, has been attending high-level meetings alone, sources said, sometimes relying on Kremlin interpreters, contrary to longstanding diplomatic procedures.
The NYP notes that on the eve of Witkoff's last meeting with Putin last Friday, he greeted the Kremlin leader "like an old friend" — without any hint of the usual circle of advisers, experts, and military officers who usually accompany American officials to negotiations.
At the same time, Putin himself was present at this meeting, accompanied by his assistant Yuri Ushakov and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, who was the representative of the Russian president at the negotiations in Washington.
A member of Trump's first administration criticized Witkoff's approach when he negotiates alone.
Others also express concern that Witkoff is being given too large a role, combining U.S. negotiations with Russia with negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage release between Israel and Hamas, as well as a review of the deal with Iran over its nuclear weapons program.
Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul wrote on the social network X that Trump should appoint someone with some experience in diplomacy as a mediator in negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. "Witkoff acts as a mailman for Putin. He doesn't negotiate anything."
In addition, the NYP writes that even Russian media have noticed that Witkoff repeats Putin's words and easily adopts Russian narratives.
