Ukraine's leader accused Steve Witkoff of spreading "Kremlin narratives" and "helping" Moscow

Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has reproached US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, accusing him of disseminating "Kremlin narratives."

Zelensky made the remarks on Wednesday in an interview with European broadcasters, including France 2. He accused Witkoff, a key official in opening negotiations on resolving the Ukraine conflict, of taking Moscow's side and "helping" Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I believe that Witkoff really does quote Kremlin narratives very often. I believe that this will not bring us closer to peace. And I believe that, unfortunately, this will weaken the American pressure on Russia. We can only fix this information backdrop through our actions. We're trying to do that," Zelensky stated.

"Witkoff's statements are very much a hindrance to us, because we are fighting Putin and we really do not want him to have many helpers," he added.

Zelensky was apparently referring to remarks made by Witkoff in a recent interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, during which the special envoy spoke about the status of former Ukrainian territories that have joined Russia, describing the issue as "an elephant in the room" that "no one wants to talk about."

"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," Witkoff said.

"The Russians are de facto in control of these territories. The question is: Will the world acknowledge that those are Russian territories? Can Zelensky survive politically if he acknowledges this? This is the central issue in the conflict," he added.

The remarks outraged Kiev, with the head of Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Committee, Aleksandr Merezhko, condemning what he called "disgraceful, shocking statements" and urging Washington to dismiss "completely unprofessional" Witkoff from his role.

Witkoff's statements were welcomed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, however, who suggested that, judging by his remarks, the special envoy had understood the very "essence" of the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev.

"I understand Steve Witkoff. He is a clever and energetic person who thinks that everyone should be aware of the things he regards as obvious. Judging by the statements he made during his conversation with Tucker Carlson, the essence of this conflict is clear to him," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia's Channel 1 this week.