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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff of “disseminating Russian narratives,” following a series of remarks the American diplomat made regarding Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, CNN reported on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Zelenskyy strongly criticised Witkoff’s recent comments and meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that the envoy appeared to be aligning himself with the Kremlin’s “propaganda”.
“I think it is very dangerous because he is consciously or unconsciously, I don’t know, disseminating Russian narratives. In any case, it does not help,” Zelensky said, according to CNN. “He is taking the strategy of the Russian side.”
The rebuke comes after Witkoff touted his third meeting with Putin in an interview with Fox News on Monday, calling the exchange “compelling.” During the interview, Witkoff reportedly said any future peace deal would hinge on the “so-called five territories,” referencing Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and four other Ukrainian regions occupied since 2022: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, echoed Zelensky’s concerns, saying in a statement to CNN, “With all due respect… [Witkoff] may be inadvertently trying to push pro-Russian narratives”.
Witkoff has previously faced similar allegations. In a podcast interview last month with Tucker Carlson, the envoy praised Putin as “gracious” and dismissed long-standing concerns in Europe about Russia’s expansionist ambitions. He also claimed that “the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule.”
