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Trump envoy Steve Witkoff says he has developed 'friendship' with Putin
Sky News ^ | 2/21/2025 | Mark Stone

Posted on 02/21/2025 5:00:28 AM PST by marcusmaximus

The man who has emerged as Donald Trump's geopolitical dealmaker-in-chief has said that he's developed a "friendship" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Steve Witkoff was named as Mr Trump's Middle East envoy shortly after the US election but he has since been involved in negotiations with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine.

Mr Witkoff made the comments about his relationship with Mr Putin at a Saudi-run investment forum in Miami, where he discussed his remarkable overnight trip to Moscow last week to secure the release of US citizen Marc Fogel.

"I spent a lot of time with Putin. Talking and developing a friendship and relationship with him…" Mr Witkoff said.

-snip-

In describing the success of the deal, Mr Witkoff said: "First I had the support of President Trump which is a really big deal. Secondly we have a really good relationship with the Saudis…. They assured us that this was real... and so to me it became worth the trip. And so we went. And it was a great trip. I spent a lot of time with President Putin, talking, developing a friendship, a relationship with him and that led to Mark getting on the plane…"

The role of the Saudi government is a reflection of Riyadh's remarkable and emerging geopolitical clout.

After Mr Witkoff's Moscow trip, the Riyadh talks between the US and Russia were secured.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: putin; russia; saudiarabia; stevewitkoff
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1 posted on 02/21/2025 5:00:28 AM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

See maxie? This is how you do diplomacy.


2 posted on 02/21/2025 5:03:41 AM PST by JonPreston ( ✌ ☮️ )
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: HYPOCRACY

It matters quite a bit if one of your chief negotiators does however.


4 posted on 02/21/2025 5:06:45 AM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: marcusmaximus
Witkoff is amazing.

Biden was amazing, too...when he got a tran athlete out...and left Fogel to rot.

5 posted on 02/21/2025 5:07:06 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: JonPreston

Or maybe its how they do diplomacy to you?


6 posted on 02/21/2025 5:07:32 AM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: buwaya

What matters? That he had a sleepover? Results matter, no need for us to hear about his methods or fantasies. He sounds like a 12 year old.


7 posted on 02/21/2025 5:10:51 AM PST by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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To: JonPreston

General Kellogg is still in Kyiv and will walk away with a minerals deal before Monday.


8 posted on 02/21/2025 5:11:41 AM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: HYPOCRACY

“What matters? That he had a sleepover? Results matter, no need for us to hear about his methods or fantasies. He sounds like a 12 year old.”

We’ve seen the results of Biden’s way of doing diplomacy - Ukraine being chewed up by Russia.


9 posted on 02/21/2025 5:12:03 AM PST by BobL (The people who hate Trump demand that you hate Russia)
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To: BobL

Why comment if you have no point? This isn’t a comparison. I just don’t give a crap who this guy makes friends with. Nobody does. Just stick to business.


10 posted on 02/21/2025 5:15:41 AM PST by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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To: marcusmaximus
A short but amusing thread. Diplomacy means, in part, pleasantries. Baying at the moon does not. Given the choices of open war, continuing proxy war as a proxy weakens further, or attempting diplomatic efforts to find another solution is a difficult choice for some -- who end up baying at the moon, as one has seen before.

That now-classic meme was of a lady Democrat. Then we had Liz Cheney, a lady "Republican" for Harris-Walz. So raging against realities is indeed a thing.

That's just not a part of diplomacy. It's also not part of a winning political hand at home. But it surely seems to feel good for a short while. And then another baying at the moon is in order....

11 posted on 02/21/2025 5:15:46 AM PST by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: HYPOCRACY

“A truth that’s told with bad intent, Beats all the lies you can invent. “

William Blake


12 posted on 02/21/2025 5:17:40 AM PST by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: HYPOCRACY

All I care about is for Russia to prevail against Ukraine.


13 posted on 02/21/2025 5:18:14 AM PST by nwrep
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To: marcusmaximus

There are no minerals of note in Ukraine (maybe an aluminum foundry) and there are no North Koreans on the battlefield. Tucker was right.


14 posted on 02/21/2025 5:20:01 AM PST by JonPreston ( ✌ ☮️ )
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To: HYPOCRACY
Nobody gives a fck if you are BFFs with Pootie poot.

Speak for yourself, Biden.

Ask the mothers and wives of the hundreds of thousands of Ukie soldiers who died because of your failure to sit across the table from your so-called adversaries and stop the killing. Something that a real president like Trump can do in less than a month after taking over from your misarable term.

No. Simply ignore Russia's offer to settle the dispute before it started. Or better yet, after it starts and a deal was negotiated to stop the SMO, just send good 'ol whacko Boris Johnson over to continue the killing.

Sure. Nobody cares. NOT!

15 posted on 02/21/2025 5:24:22 AM PST by icclearly
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To: JonPreston

There will be a “minerals” deal by Monday and the the real negotiations begin.


16 posted on 02/21/2025 5:24:53 AM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: HYPOCRACY

“Why comment if you have no point? This isn’t a comparison. I just don’t give a crap who this guy makes friends with. Nobody does. Just stick to business.”

Do you know anything about how DIPLOMACY works? To give you a clue, it there’s no trust, nothing gets accomplished, which is why I brought up the comparison with Biden.


17 posted on 02/21/2025 5:24:55 AM PST by BobL (The people who hate Trump demand that you hate Russia)
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To: HYPOCRACY

HYPOCRACY misses the Bush Crime Family days.


18 posted on 02/21/2025 5:26:15 AM PST by wildcard_redneck ( )
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To: HYPOCRACY
You've posted three times about how much you don't care.

Seems dubious.


19 posted on 02/21/2025 5:26:15 AM PST by Sirius Lee ("Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.")
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To: BobL

Ok. Mr. Diplodope. Again, you have no point. Go argue with the mirror. He’s the only person stupid enough to listen to you.


20 posted on 02/21/2025 5:26:20 AM PST by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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