Zelenskyy believes Trump's envoy Witkoff adopted Russia's strategy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy for the Middle East, is spreading Russian narratives through his statements about potentially including Ukrainian territories in a "peace agreement".

Source: Zelenskyy during a meeting with journalists on 17 April, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine will never recognise temporarily occupied territories as Russian and this position remains unchanged.

Quote: "I believe Mr Witkoff has adopted Russia’s strategy. I think it’s very dangerous because he is – consciously or unconsciously, I don’t know – spreading Russian narratives."

More details: The president added that Trump’s envoy has no mandate to "discuss Ukrainian territories," which belong to the Ukrainian people.

Quote: "So I really don’t understand what he’s talking about. We’ve heard all this before as nonsense from Mr Putin. I didn’t think he had people spreading these narratives in other civilised countries. So I don’t take it seriously."

Background: 

• Witkoff stated on Fox News that a peace deal would involve settling the issue of the "five territories", though he did not specify which ones.
• Previously, in a high-profile interview with Tucker Carlson, Witkoff claimed that the biggest issue in this conflict was the "so-called four regions", but then listed five: "Donbas, Crimea, Luhansk, and two more".
• Following these remarks, Reuters reported that some of Witkoff’s statements and actions regarding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have drawn criticism in the White House and among Republicans.

 Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!