On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that attempts to keep the situation in Russia-Ukraine from escalating further are “somewhat under control.” The remarks came after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a ‘great’ leader.
In an Air Force One interview with Outkick’s Clay Travis, Trump stressed the need for ‘rational discussions’ and good relations with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to bring the war to an end. Trump cited his individual conversations with Putin and Zelensky, in which Putin promised to stop Russian missile attacks against Ukraine’s energy system for 30 days, and Zelensky committed to accepting this moratorium. The White House described this as the first step to peace, noting the requirement of a permanent solution and acknowledging the human and economic toll of the war.
Previously, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had commended Putin as a reliable leader who wanted to end the war. Witkoff, who sat down with Putin in Moscow, called the Russian president a ‘great’ leader and recounted a tale in which Putin prayed for Trump after he was shot. Witkoff also said Putin is not a ‘bad guy’ but noted the complicated nature of the conflict. He urged Zelensky to negotiate a deal with Russia, given the difficult circumstances Ukraine is in against a nuclear power.
Witkoff ended by positing that perhaps the time is right for Zelensky to come to an agreement with Russia.
