Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff has snubbed Sir Keir Starmer’s plans for Ukraine.
The prime minister has urged a “coalition of the willing”, made up of a number of European and NATO nations, may present boots on the bottom in Ukraine after a ceasefire.
Mr Witkoff – who’s main the US ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and Russia – dismissed Sir Keir’s plans as a “combination of a posture and a pose” in an interview with pro-Trump journalist Tucker Carlson.
He additionally accused the prime minister of adopting the “simplistic” notion that leaders “have all got to be like Winston Churchill”.
“The Russians are going to march across Europe. I think that’s preposterous. We have something called Nato that we did not have in World War Two.”
Mr Witkoff not too long ago met with the Russian president in Moscow and informed Carlson he “liked” Vladimir Putin.
“I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy”, he mentioned. “I thought that he was straight up with me.”
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Professional-Trump journalist interviewed Trump’s particular envoy. Pic: YouTube/ The Tucker Carlson Present.
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Steve Witkoff informed Tucker Carlson he ‘preferred’ Putin. Pic: YouTube/ The Tucker Carlson Present.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the prime minister in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC, after being proven the Carlson clip.
She mentioned: “I feel we will see the influence of our prime minister’s diplomatic efforts, bringing collectively European leaders, and certainly leaders from different nations world wide.
“And also being in constant dialogue with President Trump, as well as Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who we welcomed to London a couple of weeks ago.”
The chancellor additionally mentioned she was not “put off” by Mr Witkoff’s feedback.
She added: “We will need to make sure that if there is a ceasefire, it can be enforced and that’s what our prime minister – along with allies around the world – is trying to secure.”
Sir Ed Davey, talking in Harrogate on Sunday, was extra direct in his criticism of Mr Witkoff’s feedback.
The Liberal Democrat chief mentioned: “And Trump’s so-called ‘special’ envoy might dismiss British leadership as pointless posturing, but we know what it really is.
“Britain main in Europe once more as we now have accomplished within the best moments of our nation’s historical past.”
Ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin on Monday in Saudi Arabia, and both nations are expected to hold indirect talks mediated by the US.
The hope is that both sides will agree on pausing long-range attacks on energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.
On Sunday, Mr Witkoff expressed optimism ahead of the high-stakes talks, saying he believed Mr Putin is ready to end the conflict.
“I feel that you’ll see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some actual progress, significantly because it impacts a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between each nations. And from that, you will naturally gravitate right into a full-on taking pictures ceasefire,” Mr Witkoff mentioned.
