Witkoff may have misunderstood Putin's peace terms
U.S. President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Moscow on August 6 for talks with Vladimir Putin, may have misunderstood the Russian leader, The Moscow Times reported, citing Bild, which in turn quoted German and Ukrainian officials.
According to the newspaper’s sources, reports that Putin was willing to drop his claims to the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions and would only demand the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas may be mistaken.
In fact, Russia reportedly demanded the “peaceful withdrawal” of Ukrainian forces from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Witkoff, however, reportedly took this to mean a “peaceful withdrawal” of Russian forces from these regions.
Bild’s sources say Putin still seeks full control of all four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
“Witkoff doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” a Ukrainian government official told the paper. According to Bild, German government officials share this view.
Shortly after the Putin–Witkoff talks, U.S. officials held a conference call with their European counterparts, who were left with the impression that the Americans did not fully grasp the situation, Bild reported.
Witkoff’s statements during a briefing were seen as confusing. The outlet noted that he appeared out of his depth when addressing territorial matters.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
