Tucker Carlson interview: Steve Witkoff's Critical Role in Negotiating Global Peace with the Warmongers Trying to Stop Him [3-22-2025]

https://rad-patriot.com/6689/tucker-carlson-steve-witkoffs-critical-role-in-negotiating-global-peace-with-the-warmongers-trying-to-stop-him/
Steve Witkoff has no background in diplomacy but has turned out to be the most effective American diplomat in a generation. Here’s how he’s trying to resolve the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

==>Putin Prayed for Trump After His Assassination Attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania: Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly visited a church to pray for President Donald Trump’s safety following an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.

The revelation emerged during Witkoff’s recent discussions with Putin regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

During an interview with Tucker Carlson, Witkoff recounted his conversation with the Russian leader. Putin, 72, described Trump as a personal friend and stated that his prayers were not politically motivated but rather an act of concern for someone he considered a companion.

“[Putin] told me a story, Tucker, about how when the president was shot, he went to his local church and met with his priest and prayed for the president,” Witkoff said. “Not because he could become the president of the United States, but because he has a friendship with him and he was praying for his friend.”

Trump survived the assassination attempt after moving his head just before the bullet struck, grazing his ear instead of causing a fatal injury. The incident raised concerns about the political climate and its role in fostering hostility against the president.

Following the attack, a Russian government spokesperson suggested that the rhetoric surrounding Trump from his opponents contributed to an environment that enabled the attempted assassination, as the New York Post reported.

Putin, an adherent of the Russian Orthodox Church, also gave Witkoff a specially commissioned portrait of Trump to deliver to him.

The artwork was created by a prominent Russian artist, as part of what seemed to be an effort to foster goodwill between the Kremlin and Washington.

Witkoff later briefed Trump on his meeting with Putin, and the president reportedly appreciated the gesture. “He was clearly touched by it,” Witkoff shared.

While flight data suggested Witkoff had to wait several hours before meeting Putin, Trump dismissed these claims, insisting there was no such delay in the talks.

Witkoff also provided insights into his views on Putin and the Ukraine conflict. He stated, “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy. That is a complicated situation, that war, and all the ingredients that led up to it.”

Carlson, who previously interviewed Putin, has been critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kyiv’s military efforts against Russian forces.

A key focus of Witkoff’s meeting with Putin was facilitating a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Although Trump’s administration proposed a 30-day ceasefire, Russia rejected the plan. Instead, Moscow agreed to a temporary halt on attacks against energy and infrastructure for the same duration.

A Kremlin readout stated that Putin insisted on the U.S. ceasing military support and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, though Trump publicly refuted this claim. Meanwhile, Ukraine ultimately accepted the limited ceasefire but remained skeptical of Russia’s intentions, particularly after a drone attack on Odesa.

Witkoff, who primarily serves as the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, has expanded his diplomatic efforts to include Russia as part of Trump’s broader foreign policy agenda.

Trump has positioned himself as a mediator in the Ukraine war, distancing himself from the Biden administration’s firm support for Ukraine. One of his key foreign policy objectives is to end the conflict, which recently marked its third anniversary.

Despite praising Putin in the past as a “strong leader” and “genius,” Trump has also taken a tough stance against Russia. Earlier this month, he threatened to impose additional sanctions and tariffs as part of his strategy in dealing with Moscow.

==>Elections in Ukraine, Kiev’s NATO ambitions: Key takeaways from Trump envoy’s interview

The US has made “tremendous progress” in settling the conflict during talks with Russia, Steve Witkoff has told Tucker Carlson.
The US has achieved significant progress in negotiations with Russia aimed at settling the Ukraine conflict, Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, has told American journalist Tucker Carlson.

In an hour-and-a-half interview released Friday, the envoy signaled that Ukraine has apparently agreed to stay out of NATO – one of Moscow’s key demands in the conflict – with the key issue being the fate of former Ukrainian territories that voted overwhelmingly to join Russia.

Here are the key takeaways from the interview.

Prospects for a lasting ceasefire
The Trump administration has “made more progress in Russia in this Russian-Ukraine conflict in the last eight weeks than anyone thought we would ever make,” Witkoff claimed, referring in particular to his recent visit to Moscow.

According to the diplomat, the talks focused on “an ultimate ceasefire,” with one of the key topics being the Ukrainian troops surrounded in the border region of Kursk. “The Russians have taken it [Kursk Region] back. They’ve got people trapped there and the president doesn’t want to see everybody getting killed. That’s a significant battlefield condition that has to be dealt with.”

Witkoff said, “we’re not far away” from a 30-day ceasefire, but cautioned that the sides have to reach agreements on dozens of separate battlefield situations across the front, adding that Russian and US teams will meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia starting on Monday to discuss a number of issues.

’Elephant in the room’
The biggest issue in the Ukraine conflict is that of Crimea and four other regions that voted to join Russia in 2014 and 2022, respectively, Witkoff said. “They’re Russian speaking. There have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule,” he said.

The diplomat described the territorial dispute between Moscow and Kiev as the “elephant in the room” that “no one wants to talk about.” The problem is compounded by constitutional issues within Ukraine regarding the possibility of ceding territory, with questions lingering about the international recognition of the new reality on the ground, and Vladimir Zelensky’s political future, Witkoff said.

Nevertheless, the Trump envoy claimed that “we’re having a very, very positive conversation” on the topic.

Ukraine NATO membership off the table
Witkoff reiterated that he believes “it’s largely accepted” that “if there’s going to be a peace deal, Ukraine cannot be a member of NATO,” adding that this sentiment is shared by Zelensky and Andrey Yermak, his influential chief of staff.

Election in Ukraine
Asked whether Ukraine will hold a new election, Witkoff replied in the affirmative, without providing further details or a timeline. “Yes. There will be. They’ve agreed to it. There will be elections in Ukraine,” he said, arguing that Zelensky ended up “in a very difficult position” because he faces a powerful adversary.

Zelensky’s presidential term expired last May, but he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. Russia deems him “illegitimate,” insisting that the only legal authority now lies with the Ukrainian parliament until a new vote is held.

Russia ‘100%’ doesn’t want to attack Europe
Russia has no desire to invade other European countries, Witkoff said, rejecting the notion that “the Russians are going to march across Europe” as “preposterous.” He explained that the continent’s security is to a large extent guaranteed by NATO, which did not exist during World War II.

Putin prayed for Trump
Witkoff noted that Putin told him he prayed for Trump after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July. The Russian leader said he “went to his local church and met with his priest and prayed for the president – not because he could become the president of the United States, but because he had a friendship with him and he was praying for his friend,” the envoy recounted.

He added that his recent visit to Moscow “got personal.” “President Putin had commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump from the leading Russian artist and actually gave it to me and asked me to take it home to President Trump, which I brought home and delivered to him.”