Trump adviser praises US-Russia “friendship”
Steve Witkoff has emphasized the “great friendship” that exists between the US and Russian presidents. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Steve Witkoff, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, has indicated that relations between the United States and Russia are poised for improvement, citing what he referred to as a “great friendship” between the leaders of the two countries.
During his campaign and following his election victory on November 5, Trump consistently promised to quickly resolve the conflict in Ukraine while expressing his openness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also claimed to have “always had a good relationship” with Putin.
In remarks made to NewsNation on Wednesday, Witkoff stated, “I think [Presidents Trump and Putin] had a great friendship, and I think now it’s going to continue, and it’s a really good thing for the world.”
Witkoff, who also serves as the US special envoy to the Middle East, discussed the release of US national Marc Fogel from a Russian prison, noting that the “Russians were very, very helpful in that effort and very accommodating.”
Trump echoed this sentiment, stating that “we were treated very nicely by Russia.” He expressed hope that this marked “the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed.”
In a Wednesday post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shared, “I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.” He described the discussion as focusing on the “great benefit that we will someday have in working together,” as well as their mutual desire to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” reiterated the US president.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the conversation, stating that both leaders recognized that the time had come for collaboration between Moscow and Washington.
On Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov commented that “Trump’s team, despite conflicting statements from both him and his people, has at least signaled interest in resuming the dialogue with Russia that was disrupted by the Democrats.”
He cautioned that the initiative was now in Washington's hands and advised against using “the language of ultimatums.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
During his campaign and following his election victory on November 5, Trump consistently promised to quickly resolve the conflict in Ukraine while expressing his openness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also claimed to have “always had a good relationship” with Putin.
In remarks made to NewsNation on Wednesday, Witkoff stated, “I think [Presidents Trump and Putin] had a great friendship, and I think now it’s going to continue, and it’s a really good thing for the world.”
Witkoff, who also serves as the US special envoy to the Middle East, discussed the release of US national Marc Fogel from a Russian prison, noting that the “Russians were very, very helpful in that effort and very accommodating.”
Trump echoed this sentiment, stating that “we were treated very nicely by Russia.” He expressed hope that this marked “the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed.”
In a Wednesday post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shared, “I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.” He described the discussion as focusing on the “great benefit that we will someday have in working together,” as well as their mutual desire to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
“We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” reiterated the US president.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the conversation, stating that both leaders recognized that the time had come for collaboration between Moscow and Washington.
On Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov commented that “Trump’s team, despite conflicting statements from both him and his people, has at least signaled interest in resuming the dialogue with Russia that was disrupted by the Democrats.”
He cautioned that the initiative was now in Washington's hands and advised against using “the language of ultimatums.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
