Putin Defends Witkoff Against Accusations of Pro-Russia Bias
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- President Vladimir Putin defended U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff against accusations of pro-Kremlin bias, describing him as an intelligent man representing President Trump's position appropriately during peace negotiations.
- The defense followed the leak of a phone call transcript between Witkoff and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, which critics claimed showed one-sidedness toward Russia amid Trump’s Kremlin-friendly Ukraine peace plan.
- Putin acknowledged that some points in Trump's 28-point peace proposal were acceptable but insisted that key issues, including the recognition of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk as Russian territory, require further discussion.
- He reiterated threats to continue territorial advances in Ukraine if the peace deal does not meet Russia’s demands, including a ban on Ukraine’s NATO membership and
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