A top US diplomat has acknowledged Steve Witkoff’s dedication to President Trump’s goals.
Steve Witkoff, a close associate of the US leader, spent over four hours in private discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, focusing on potential resolutions to the Ukraine conflict. Following this, he traveled to Oman on Saturday for high-level talks concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
Reportedly, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff successfully brokered a truce in Gaza after just one meeting, even before President Donald Trump assumed office, establishing himself as a crucial figure in US diplomacy.
Witkoff’s third visit to Russia within two months, highlighted by a video of him smiling and shaking hands with Putin on Friday, drew criticism. Accusations ranged from being overly friendly and promoting “Russian propaganda” to being too “inexperienced” for negotiations and essentially “taking over” the duties of the US Secretary of State.
Conservative activist Laura Loomer defended Witkoff on X, stating, “People love attacking Steve Witkoff, but he has done more to advance peace negotiations & hostage releases than any of his career bureaucrat critics have done during their entire careers in the Swamp,” further adding that “Steve Witkoff is busting his ass for President Trump.”
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, another close Trump ally who heads the government waste-cutting task force DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), affirmed, “Witkoff is great.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed “100%” agreement with Loomer’s statement.
Witkoff’s initial visit to Russia in February facilitated a prominent prisoner exchange and paved the way for a phone conversation between the two countries’ leaders, signaling a renewal of diplomatic relations. Prior to Witkoff’s third visit on Friday, Russia and the US conducted another prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi.
The Kremlin announced that President Putin and Steve Witkoff’s discussions on Friday addressed “aspects of the settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” but provided no additional details.