Witkoff's emergence in Russia-U.S. talks is no coincidence – diplomat Chaly

He mentioned this in a broadcast on the Espreso TV channel.

"This is still an assumption, but it's not by chance that Mr. Witkoff appeared in these negotiations. I remind you that he was a partner and associate of Donald Trump, meaning a businessman. And here he appears in the negotiations, gaining more and more influence. Now he is making statements without the participation of the State Department or the National Security Advisor. For example, regarding the 'Istanbul garbage' of 2022. He is making statements that increasingly point to his role," Chaly noted.

According to the diplomat, Witkoff appeared after receiving an order from Donald Trump and Putin's approval to release an American citizen detained in Russia.

"But it’s interesting how he was brought into this game. It’s precisely because Putin gave him the task, important for the U.S. president, to release the American citizen. Although some claim that this citizen was just a teacher, that's not true. It was important for Russia. Putin got upset, and after the agreement, he ordered the detention of another American on the same day. Do you feel the trickery? This is a classic KGB move—to give someone from the other side an opportunity to show themselves so that they are pushed to the front position," Chaly added.

• Steve Witkoff spoke on February 23 on CNN, where he stated that the "Istanbul agreements" could be used as a "guide to a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia."