𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The Government has hit back after Donald Trump’s lead negotiator on the Ukraine war described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian”. Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, heaped praise on the Russian President during talks in St Petersburg as the US renews its push to end the Ukraine war, and is putting pressure on Kyiv to agree to a settlement. Witkoff praised Putin for his humanitarian work in the middle of the illegal four-year-long war with Ukraine started by Moscow.

He told Putin: “You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir. I salute you, and I commend you.”

In response Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander suggested the Government was wholly at odds with Witkoff’s remarks. Asked by LBC if the UK agreed with Mr Witkoff’s characterisation, Mr Alexander said: “No, we don’t.

“We see him as somebody who illegally invaded Ukraine at the start of this conflict, who has been responsible for conduct by his government that included attempted assassinations on UK soil.

“So we simply do not recognise the description of Vladimir Putin as a humanitarian. In contrast, we are crystal clear that we stand foursquare behind Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine in their battle for freedom.

In a post on X, Witkoff himself conceded that “there is still important work to do”, though he claimed “President Trump remains committed to seeing this war end…”

He added “constructive” discussions will continue with “trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine at the technical level”. Trump has suggested that Russia and Ukraine are “maybe now the closest we’ve been” to ending the war.

Following the meeting with Witkoff Putin agreed “in principle” to resume three-way peace talks with the US and Ukraine.Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that the talks will focus on “building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends”.

Later Russian state TV asked him about the prospects for peace. “I don’t know how close we are getting,” Ushakov said, “but things are moving in that direction.”

Despite the apparent willingness to negotiate, Russia has continued to launch missile strikes at Kyiv.