Witkoff echoes Kremlin narratives in controversial remarks on Ukraine’s sovereignty

Witkoff carefully repeats Russian narratives to Tucker Carlson: “I think the biggest issue in this war is the so-called four regions: Donbas, Crimea, Luhansk, and two more. These territories are Russian-speaking, and referendums were held there in which the majority of people expressed a desire to be under Russian rule. In my opinion, that is the key point of the conflict. It’s the first thing that needs to be resolved. And right now, we are having very, very positive discussions about this.”

According to him, part of these territories is already considered part of Russia. However, the Ukrainian Constitution imposes restrictions on making any concessions regarding sovereignty, which complicates the negotiation process.

“The question is whether the world will recognize these territories as Russian. And what happens then? Will Zelenskyy be able to survive politically if he acknowledges this? That is the central question,” the special representative said.

"No — these regions are not Russian-speaking, and no legitimate referendums were held there, only staged imitations in certain areas. Witkoff has forgotten not only about the rights of Ukrainians, but also the rights of Crimean Tatars to their language and their land. An American cannot ignore international law and dance to Putin’s tune. There is no future in that — America has different interests. And so does Ukraine. This was Putin’s mistake from the very beginning, the same one he’s now trying to push Trump into."

It’s clear that elections are necessary, but changing Zelenskyy (which I, as an opposition politician, generally support) will not change the will of the Ukrainian people. At the beginning of the invasion, it was the army and the people who defended Ukraine, and the politicians merely carried out their will. It will remain that way, no matter who is president. That’s why elections must absolutely be held immediately after the war ends, as defined by our legislation.

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About the author: Myloka Kniazhytskyi, journalist, Member of the Ukrainian parliament.

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