Steve Witkoff Postpones Middle East Visit Due to Ukraine Agreement
In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, commented on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating, “This war should never have happened. It was provoked. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Russians were the ones who did it.”
He elaborated, “There was a lot of talk at the time about Ukraine joining NATO. That shouldn’t have happened. In fact, it became a threat to the Russians, and we’ll have to deal with that reality moving forward.”
Witkoff has decided to delay his planned trip to the Middle East by several days. According to a report by Axios on Tuesday, a source indicated that the postponement stems from ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts concerning Russia and Ukraine.
Originally, Witkoff was scheduled to arrive in Israel on Wednesday as part of efforts to “expand the first phase” of a truce agreement and secure the release of hostages, per Israeli media reports.
During his Sunday remarks, Witkoff expressed optimism about the situation in Ukraine, asserting that a peace agreement could be reached “relatively quickly.”
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