The British government on Thursday, Oct. 22, firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff’s description of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “humanitarian,” pointing to the thousands killed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s systematic attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Downing Street issued the unusually direct rebuke after Witkoff praised Putin during their meeting in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, hours before Russian forces launched another massive missile and drone assault on Kyiv.
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“We certainly do not recognize that characterization,” a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters.
The spokesperson said Putin had killed thousands of people, including innocent Ukrainians and Russian soldiers sent to die on the battlefield.
“He is starving children and the elderly of the heat and warmth, and systematically targeting critical national infrastructure,” the spokesperson said.
Downing Street also quoted Ukraine’s foreign minister, who said Russia’s overnight attack on Kyiv showed what Putin’s so-called “humanitarianism” really meant.
“This night, the residents of Kyiv heard what Russian humanitarianism really sounds like,” the Ukrainian minister said, according to Downing Street.
Witkoff praises Putin during prisoner release
The controversy began Wednesday when Witkoff met Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss the possible resumption of trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the US.
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The package will also fund locomotives and energy equipment, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
At the beginning of the meeting, Putin announced the release of 74-year-old American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been held in Russia since 2022.
Witkoff thanked the Russian leader, describing him as a humanitarian in remarks captured on video by Russian state media.
“You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that,” Witkoff told Putin.
The comment immediately triggered criticism from US lawmakers, including members of Trump’s Republican Party.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis called Witkoff’s remarks embarrassing and outrageous, urging the envoy to consider the suffering of Ukrainian families whose children have been killed or forcibly taken to Russia.
Senator John Cornyn also rejected the characterization, describing Putin as a killer.
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