U.S. State Department avoids commenting on Witkoff's claims about Russian-occupied Ukraine

This is stated in the spokesperson's briefing.

When asked whether the US administration believes that Russia has legitimate claims to Ukraine's occupied territories, namely Crimea, parts of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia region, and the left bank of Kherson region, Bruce replied:

“I’m not going to speculate, and once again there’s – because of the approach of this administration, there are a lot of diplomatic talks going on.

There is one thing in front of us that everyone is doing, and that is to secure the peace of that region, of those two countries, which – more even than the region, the entire world.  And that’s the singular thing that is being worked on right now in Saudi Arabia.  It is the singular thing that the President has been focused on.  It is what the Secretary has been working on pretty much from day one,” she said.

Earlier, Witkoff said that “the so-called four regions - Donbas, Luhansk and two others - are Russian-speaking, and there were referendums where the vast majority of people showed that they want to be under Russian rule.”

Bruce also said that there have been significant changes in diplomatic contacts between the United States, Ukraine and Russia, but they need to “have a dynamic.”

“So that’s what we’re dealing with in this regard, and I think just a reminder that until there is a ceasefire – a full ceasefire, that’s when – as the President has noted and certainly the Secretary, that until there is a ceasefire, that’s when we can then discuss the differences in what proceeds after that when it comes to an enduring peace,” she summed up.

• The EU reacted to Witkoff's words and emphasized that the so-called referendums in Russia were completely rigged.
• In contrast, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, amid criticism of Witkoff after his interview with Tucker Carlson, said that he was “doing an incredible job.”