US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner faced direct questions about their treatment of Vladimir Putin and Washington’s willingness to pressure Russia during their first official visit to Kyiv on Sunday.Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon asked Witkoff whether Putin had been deceiving him during their repeated meetings and whether he found it repugnant to sit with a ruler he described as an international war criminal.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Witkoff did not directly address either question. He said Putin had always treated the American delegation with respect and argued that maintaining relationships with both Russia and Ukraine was necessary for negotiations.Kushner was separately asked whether Washington would increase pressure on Moscow if its latest diplomatic effort failed. He did not specify any possible sanctions or other consequences, instead describing US President Donald Trump’s preferred approach as seeking a “win-win” outcome.Witkoff’s warm treatment of PutinThe questions followed months of scrutiny over Witkoff’s unusually warm public posture toward the Russian ruler.During his latest meeting with Putin in Moscow on Saturday, Witkoff spoke about the “incredible” stories and memories that the participants would have after retiring.“Yours will be right at the top of it all,” Witkoff told Putin.In a 2025 interview with Tucker Carlson, Witkoff said he liked Putin, described him as “super smart” and said: “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy.”
Witkoff and Kushner Pressed in Kyiv Over Putin Ties and US Pressure on Russia
On their first official visit to Kyiv, Trump’s envoys were asked whether Putin had deceived them and whether Washington would increase pressure on Russia. Neither gave a direct answer.
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