Witkoff’s putin Praise Was Embarrassing—What Came After Was Worse (video commentary)

09/05/2026

Thank You for Standing With Ukraine
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Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner went to Moscow for more than three hours of talks with Vladimir Putin—and what happened inside the Kremlin raises serious questions about how the Trump administration’s envoys are approaching Russia and the war against Ukraine.

In this update, I break down Witkoff’s extraordinary opening remarks to Putin, including a translation nuance that quickly drew attention in Russian media. I also examine Yuri Ushakov’s account of the closed-door meeting and dinner, where Putin presented the Russian version of the battlefield, repeated Moscow’s demand to address the so-called “root causes” of the war, and pushed propaganda claims about Ukraine.

The talks also went beyond Ukraine. According to the Russian account, the two sides discussed potential large-scale Russian-American economic projects. Witkoff and Kushner then left Moscow for Kyiv, where they are expected to meet Ukrainian leaders and hear directly about the reality of Russia’s war.

The central question now is whether Ukraine can challenge the narrative these American envoys heard in Moscow—and whether their visit to Kyiv changes how they understand Putin’s demands and Russia’s conduct of the war.