President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has triggered several prominent Republicans with his groveling and absurd praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks in St. Petersburg.
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Witkoff called Putin a “humanitarian while thanking him for releasing Stephen Hubbard, who is a 74-year-old accused of fighting for Ukraine and has spent more than four years behind bars.
“You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that. I commend you,” he said of Putin, who started a war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022 that has led to approximately 500,000 deaths.
Many Republicans lashed out at Witkoff following the shocking remarks.
“No. Putin is a stone cold killer,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote on social media, responding to a clip of Witkoff speaking.
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, called the exchange “another embarrassment” for the United States.
Even Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a Trump ally, put Witkoff on blast, writing, “What a ridiculous statement. Maybe we should ask the hundreds of dead civilians in Bucha what they think of Putin’s humanitarian instincts?”
Hubbard is a retired teacher from Michigan who was detained in 2022. His family disputed Russia’s claims that the then-70-year-old had served as a mercenary. The United States also described him as wrongfully detained, and Trump said he personally requested his release.
Witkoff’s compliment coincides with the Kremlin portraying the decision as a humanitarian gesture.
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Putin is an accused international war criminal with a warrant for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court. His war on Ukraine has reportedly killed 125,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 15,000 civilians. The conflict also led to a Ukrainian refugee crisis, with millions displaced due to their homes being destroyed or to flee the bombing.
Witkoff is not the only one in the Trump administration to flatter Putin. Trump himself has heaped praise on the Russian leader. In 2022, he called him “genius” and “savvy” for occupying two eastern regions of Ukraine before the full-scale invasion.
His praise of the dictator also goes back many years. At the 2018 summit in Helsinki, Trump seemingly accepted Putin’s denial of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, going against the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence agencies.
“President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” Trump declared.
The personal compliments continued during Trump’s second term. In February 2025, he called Putin “a very smart guy” and “a very cunning person” during discussions to end the war.
After their August 2025 summit in Alaska, Trump again called Putin “a very smart guy” and described their interaction as a “very warm meeting.”
Trump has recently faced accusations of appeasing Putin following his bipartisan-panned diesel deal.
Read more Backlash as Republicans rip Trump’s ‘nonsense’ summit plan
