Witkoff calls key issue of conflict willingness to recognize territories as Russian, considering 'referendum' held by Russia
The biggest problem in the settlement of the war started by Russia against Ukraine, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff calls Crimea and "the so-called four regions: Donbas, Luhansk and two more" and the willingness to recognize them as Russian.
He said in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Saturday night that they were Russian-speaking and that there had been referendums where the vast majority of people showed they wanted to be under Russian rule, adding that he thought this was the key issue of the conflict.
Witkoff added that this is a top priority and a very positive conversation is taking place.
He said it has always been a problem, although no one seems to want to talk about it.
Trump's special envoy believed that the elephant in the room was the constitutional issues within Ukraine regarding what they could concede when it came to giving up territories. He added that the Russians de facto controlled these territories and raised the question of whether the world would recognize them as Russian territories and whether Zelenskyy would survive politically if he recognized this, stating that this was the central issue of the conflict.
As reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not recognize the occupied territories as Russian, including Crimea.