Witkoff to Putin: ‘You Are a Humanitarian … I Salute That’
Witkoff drew backlash after praising Putin as a humanitarian as Russia freed 74-year-old American Stephen James Hubbard, video showed.
- On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "humanitarian" while thanking him for releasing American Stephen James Hubbard after four years of imprisonment.
- Russia released the 74-year-old Hubbard last Wednesday after he spent four years locked up under accusations of being a Ukrainian mercenary, though associates dispute the claim.
- Putin asked Witkoff to convey his gratitude to President Donald Trump for his help in resolving humanitarian issues, according to the meeting details released by officials.
- The "humanitarian" label drew immediate scrutiny, as the International Criminal Court seeks the Russian leader on war crimes charges tied to Ukraine's ongoing conflict.
- Republican Senator John Cornyn opposed the administration's "fealty to the Kremlin," describing the Russian president as a "stone cold killer" in a recent statement.
29 Articles
29 Articles
WITKOFF SALUTES PUTIN AS 'HUMANITARIAN' IN ST. PETERSBURG TALKS, SPARKING FIRESTORM
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff praised Vladimir Putin as a 'humanitarian' during peace talks in St. Petersburg, prompting sharp backlash from commentators including Marcy Wheeler, who warned the exchange confirms fears about the direction of Trump's negotiating team.
Trump envoy’s 'vile' dictator praise draws bipartisan rage: 'Hard to watch'
On Wednesday, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump's envoy made a statement that immediately prompted outrage across the political spectrum. According to commentators, envoy Steve Witkoff's assertion that Putin is a "humanitarian" was a "vile" "betrayal" of the United States and its allies. Witkoff was meeting with Putin in Russia when the former declared, “You talk so much about my president, President …
Russia released American political prisoner Stephen Hubbard on Wednesday, October 21, following a visit by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the same day, Russian state media Vesti reports.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff praises Putin as ‘humanitarian’ as Ukraine peace talks hang in the balance
US special envoy Steve Witkoff complimented Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian” during their meeting in St. Petersburg -- as President Trump desperately tries to get Russia back to the negotiating table to end the Ukraine war.
'Sheer insanity': Trump's envoy skewered as he fawns over dictator with 'cringe' remarks
President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Peace Missions, Steve Witkoff, prostrated himself before Russia's Vladimir Putin at a summit on Wednesday — despite Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, butcher of civilians, and the lack of any progress in getting him to back off his demands for territorial and political control of his neighbors."You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian," said Witkoff. "You are a human…
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