1w ago

Witkoff misunderstood Putin's Ukraine land swap offer, left European leaders 'startled,' Reuters reports

kyivindependent.com Witkoff misunderstood Putin's Ukraine land swap offer, left European leaders 'startled,' Reuters reports

Witkoff — a real estate mogul with no previous diplomatic experience — reportedly went to the meeting with Putin without a U.S. State Department notetaker.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.wtf/post/27648673

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Witkoff met with Putin on Aug. 6, and a day later held a call with several European leaders detailing the plan which would see Ukraine ceding full control of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in return.
Four U.S. and European officials speaking anonymously to Reuters said that many participants on the call were caught off guard and were "startled" at the proposal as they had different expectations of Putin’s intentions.
The next day, on Aug. 8, Witkoff reversed his stance. According to one of the sources, during a call organized by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio with European national security advisers, Witkoff clarified that Putin was not offering to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Reuters also reports that Witkoff — a real estate mogul with no previous diplomatic experience — went to the meeting with Putin without a U.S. State Department notetaker, thus breaking standard protocol and not having a record of Putin’s proposals.
The level of utter stupidity and incompetence continues to astound me.
- It's breathtaking to see how many morons fail upward in life.
  
  Its almost like rich idiots are running everything. Like they got their positions not from competency but from nepotism. That can't be true though.
- The important thing is that if any journalist speaks to this incompetent buffoon, he will lavish Trump with compliments. That's his primary diplomatic mission at all times.

With Trump and his sycophantic appointed hacks, "If you hire clowns, you get a circus." has never held more true.

Witkoff — a real estate mogul with no previous diplomatic experience — went to the meeting with Putin without a U.S. State Department notetaker
Astonishing that someone could take on a monumental responsibility, way out of their wheelhouse, then think: Yea, I got this.Totally.
Vibe diplomacy.
- Trump Incompetence
- Can't you just be handed a bunch of talking points and go talk about them?

What a clown.
Anyhow...
Of course Ukraine is tired of war, but Russia is more tired. Worn out, stretched so thin you can see rock bottom in places.
Ukraine giving up territory to Russia now, for a quick peace, would be incredibly dumb. It would invalidate most of the fighting of the past years.
- It's sad but true, this is not the time to seize temporary comfort. A lot of pain would have been saved if a harder stance was taken a decade ago, but it's not too late to make more of the same mistakes.

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