Steve Witkoff argues that the notion of Russia attacking NATO is “preposterous.”
According to Steve Witkoff, the former US special envoy for the Middle East, Russia has no intention of invading other European nations, dismissing such concerns as “preposterous.”
He shared these views in a recent interview with journalist Tucker Carlson.
When asked about the UK’s readiness to send troops to Ukraine to potentially secure a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Witkoff implied that British officials aspire to emulate “Winston Churchill,” who cautioned about “the Russians are going to march across Europe.”
Carlson questioned Witkoff about whether he believed Russia had such intentions, to which Witkoff responded: “100% not.”
He further stated, “I think that’s preposterous, by the way. We have something called NATO that we did not have in World War II.”
Witkoff also stated that Moscow does not desire to “absorb Ukraine,” explaining that “That would be like occupying Gaza. Why do the Israelis really want to occupy Gaza for the rest of their lives? They don’t. They want stability there. They don’t want to deal with that.”
Witkoff asserted that Russia has already accomplished its objectives in the conflict. “They’ve reclaimed these five regions. They have Crimea, and they’ve gotten what they want. So why do they need more?”
Following a Western-supported coup in Kiev in 2014, Crimea held a referendum where the majority voted to join Russia. The regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye followed suit in autumn 2022.
Witkoff’s interview followed his direct discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the month, as part of diplomatic efforts to mediate a resolution to the Ukraine conflict. After the discussions, he proposed that a complete ceasefire could be achieved within “a couple of weeks,” and suggested that the US could ease sanctions on Moscow once an agreement is reached.
Throughout the Ukraine conflict, several European leaders have suggested that Russia intends to attack NATO countries within the next few years. Putin has refuted these claims as “nonsense,” maintaining that Russia has no interest in doing so.
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