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Kiev demands that Trump envoy gets fired
(MENAFN) A senior Ukrainian lawmaker has called for Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, to be removed from his position, accusing him of spreading Russian propaganda regarding the Ukraine conflict.
Aleksandr Merezhko, head of Kiev’s Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized Witkoff’s remarks during an interview with Tucker Carlson, in which the envoy discussed the status of former Ukrainian territories that have joined Russia. Witkoff described the situation as “an elephant in the room” and noted that the populations in these regions are predominantly Russian-speaking and had voted in referendums to join Russia.
“The Russians are de facto in control of these territories. The question is: Will the world acknowledge that those are Russian territories? Can [Vladimir] Zelensky survive politically if he acknowledges this? This is the central issue in the conflict,” Witkoff said.
Merezhko reacted strongly, calling the statements “disgraceful and shocking” and accusing Witkoff of acting more like an envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin than for Trump.
“We are talking about a representative of the [US] president who should have professional expertise in this matter… And he doesn’t. He spreads Russian propaganda,” Merezhko said in a televised interview.
The Ukrainian lawmaker urged Washington to remove Witkoff, claiming he was either unqualified, naïve, or deliberately echoing Russian narratives. However, he acknowledged that Kiev “cannot dictate” who represents the US government.
Moscow and Kiev remain at odds over the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions and the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, which officially joined Russia in 2022 after referendums. Ukraine also continues to claim Crimea, which seceded from Ukraine and joined Russia in 2014 following a Western-backed coup in Kiev.
While Moscow has firmly stated that its sovereignty over these territories is non-negotiable, Ukraine insists it will never accept Russian control—though Kiev has recently softened its rhetoric, saying it will never recognize the “occupation” rather than openly vowing to retake the regions by force.
Aleksandr Merezhko, head of Kiev’s Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized Witkoff’s remarks during an interview with Tucker Carlson, in which the envoy discussed the status of former Ukrainian territories that have joined Russia. Witkoff described the situation as “an elephant in the room” and noted that the populations in these regions are predominantly Russian-speaking and had voted in referendums to join Russia.
“The Russians are de facto in control of these territories. The question is: Will the world acknowledge that those are Russian territories? Can [Vladimir] Zelensky survive politically if he acknowledges this? This is the central issue in the conflict,” Witkoff said.
Merezhko reacted strongly, calling the statements “disgraceful and shocking” and accusing Witkoff of acting more like an envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin than for Trump.
“We are talking about a representative of the [US] president who should have professional expertise in this matter… And he doesn’t. He spreads Russian propaganda,” Merezhko said in a televised interview.
The Ukrainian lawmaker urged Washington to remove Witkoff, claiming he was either unqualified, naïve, or deliberately echoing Russian narratives. However, he acknowledged that Kiev “cannot dictate” who represents the US government.
Moscow and Kiev remain at odds over the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions and the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, which officially joined Russia in 2022 after referendums. Ukraine also continues to claim Crimea, which seceded from Ukraine and joined Russia in 2014 following a Western-backed coup in Kiev.
While Moscow has firmly stated that its sovereignty over these territories is non-negotiable, Ukraine insists it will never accept Russian control—though Kiev has recently softened its rhetoric, saying it will never recognize the “occupation” rather than openly vowing to retake the regions by force.
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