UK officials disputed remarks made by Steve Witkoff, who serves as Donald Trump’s chief negotiator on Ukraine matters, following his meeting with Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday. In a video released through Russian state media, Witkoff told Putin that he, too, was a humanitarian and commended him for this quality, drawing a parallel to Trump.
Downing Street responded sharply to the characterization, stating officials did not recognize such a description of Putin. A spokesperson outlined allegations of mass casualties, stating that Putin has killed numerous people, including both Ukrainian civilians and Russian soldiers sent to front-line positions. The UK government also accused Putin’s administration of targeting critical infrastructure and depriving populations of essential utilities.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander reinforced the position in media comments, describing Putin as someone responsible for an illegal invasion of Ukraine and government conduct involving attempted assassinations on UK soil. Alexander emphasized Britain’s rejection of humanitarian descriptions applied to the Russian leader.
Despite the diplomatic tensions surrounding Witkoff’s comments, Russia agreed in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States following the meeting. Trump indicated the parties were approaching their closest position to resolving the conflict. However, Russian military operations continued, with drone strikes on Kharkiv occurring as the discussions took place.
The developments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Downing Street last week, where senior UK officials voiced support for Kyiv’s leadership amid separate criticism from Trump regarding Zelenskyy’s role in the conflict.
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