Trump’s special envoy praises ‘super smart’ Putin ahead of Ukraine ceasefire talks

One of the tanks and oil products inside the facility are burning,

the administration said in a post on the Telegram yesterday

As of 1700 GMT on Sunday, the area of the fire at the depot near the village of Kavkazskaya was around 2,000sqm (21,500sqft)

the administration said on Telegram

Rustem Umerovdefence minister

We discussed key issues, particularly the energy sector,

Mr Umerov said in a post on social media

I just don’t see that he wants to take all of Europe. This is a much different situation than it was in World War Two.”

Playing down concerns from Washington’s Nato allies that Mr Putin will merely use any ceasefire to rearm and launch further attacks on Ukraine and its neighbours, Mr Witkoff said

I don't regard Putin as a bad guy. He’s super smart.”

He added

We are only at the beginning of this path,

he told reporters this weekend

On a person-to-person basis, I think we have a good relationship.” ... I like and respect him. I understand what he’s trying to achieve.”

In an interview with the New York Times published hours later, Sir Keir said of Mr Trump ... He added

I think it's a combination of a posture and a pose and a combination of also being simplistic. There is this sort of notion that we have all got to be like Winston Churchill. (And thinking that) Russians are going to march across Europe. That is preposterous by the way. We have something called Nato that we did not have in World War Two."

Asked about the plans to create a "coalition of the willing" to provide military security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, Mr Witkoff said

I took the view that it was better to pick up the phone and talk to both sides to try and get them back on the same page.”

Sir Keir added

I think there's this sort of notion of, we've all got to be like.

The envoy said

Why would they want to absorb Ukraine?

Despite this, Witkoff said

And from that, you'll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire,

Witkoff added

I feel that he [Putin] wants peace,

Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News

I want to see Ukraine come out of this OK, I want to see Russia come out of this OK."

Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff told former Fox journalist Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlsonpolitical commentator

And there's two others."

Carlson supplied the name of the eastern Ukrainian Luhansk region, which Witkoff repeated, before he added

Neil Coylelabour MP

Many people in Florida and Texas speak Spanish but it would be idiotic and offensive to claim that they belong to Spain

Labour MP Neil Coyle said

The Russian negotiating team is highly professional and their tactics are very aggressive and controlled

Dr Seely said

Bob Bryangold bar

Witkoff is very clearly out of his depth and breathtakingly ill-informed

And Dr Bob Seely, a former Tory MP and author of an upcoming book on Russian warfare, said

The elephant in the room is there are constitutional issues in Ukraine as to what they can concede to, with regard to giving up territory

Mr Witkoff said of the Russia-controlled territory

Sarah Green (politician)liberal Democrat

Witkoff doesn't care about Ukraine's sovereignty

Liberal Democrat Sarah Green, who is on the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine, said