Downing Street rejects Witkoff's description of Putin as a 'humanitarian'
The UK prime minister's office has rejected the claim by Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Ukraine war, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a 'humanitarian'. Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg as the US presses Kyiv to accept a settlement.
The British government's Downing Street office has rejected a statement by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the war in Ukraine, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "humanitarian". Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday in a fresh attempt to bring the invasion to an end, while the United States is pressing Kyiv to agree to a settlement.
In a clip released by Russian state media and posted on X, Witkoff told Putin that he often spoke of Trump as a humanitarian, and added that Putin was one too, which Witkoff said he saluted and commended.
London's response
A Downing Street spokesperson said Britain did not recognise that characterisation. The spokesperson said Putin had killed thousands of people, both innocent Ukrainians and Russians he had sent to their deaths on the frontline. According to the spokesperson, Russia is depriving children and the elderly of heat and warmth and systematically targeting critical national infrastructure. The spokesperson quoted Ukraine's foreign minister: "This night, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like."
Asked whether the government would make this argument directly to the US administration, the spokesperson said London engages regularly at a range of levels with a range of partners on Ukraine and would continue to do so.
Scottish secretary Douglas Alexander voiced a similar view on LBC radio. He described Putin as someone who illegally invaded Ukraine and whose government was responsible for conduct that included attempted assassinations on UK soil.
Talks resume
After the Witkoff–Putin meeting, Russia agreed in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the US. Trump has suggested the sides are "maybe now the closest we've been" to ending the war. Even so, Russia has kept up missile attacks on Ukraine, including a drone strike on Kharkiv while Putin and Witkoff were speaking. Russian strikes also hit Kyiv on Thursday.
Last week Andy Burnham welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Downing Street and backed him amid criticism from Trump. Trump had suggested Zelenskyy should be replaced and declined to say whether Russia was responsible for the war.
