One of Donald Trump's top officials working on the effort to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine is thought of as "a gift to the Russians," according to a new report from NBC News, and seems to be in conflict over the situation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Monday report from NBC detailed the increasingly contentious dynamic between Rubio and Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer appointed as a "special envoy for peace missions." Among the responsibilities this position entails is helping to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine, as the conflict between the two nations nears its fourth anniversary.
Witkoff and Rubio are said to have "sharply different views about how to end the war," as well as about "how much the U.S. should trust Russia’s promises." Witkoff, according to NBC, favors negotiating a deal quickly and putting more pressure on Ukraine to accept Russia's unfavorable demands. This includes withdrawing forces from the Donbas region, which Russia currently occupies and has been attempting to seize control of. Witkoff's desire for expedience is said to be on Trump's orders.
Witkoff's efforts have come under heavy scrutiny for his willingness to take Russia's claims in good faith and push for concessions that favor the Kremlin. Others decried him as an "amateur" in the diplomatic sphere.
“He’s a gift to the Russians,” one anonymous Congressional official told NBC.
Rubion, on the other hand, reportedly favors a more long-term effort, using increased economic pressures to get Russia to accept more Ukraine-friendly concessions, "a view shared by America’s European allies."
“They seem to be singing off of a different sheet of music,” Alexander Vershbow, a former diplomat who served as ambassador to NATO, told NBC. “And if you don’t have a common understanding of the problems and of your adversary in a negotiation, it can’t be good.”
NBC's report further detailed a recent incident in which Witkoff traveled to Switzerland ahead of Rubio to meet with Ukrainian officials, effectively conducting an "end-run around" Rubio and attempting to "beat him to the punch." At the time, Rubio was attending a wedding in which his daughters served as bridesmaids.
"Witkoff did not communicate his travel plans to Rubio and other State Department officials, the three sources said, in what they perceived as a move to allow Witkoff to negotiate with Ukraine in a way he saw fit," NBC's report explained.