Vitkoff used the services of Kremlin translators during meetings with Putin, violating diplomatic protocol.
Steve Witkoff, the US president’s special representative for the Middle East, who currently represents the administration of Donald Trump, held talks with Putin three times during his trips to Russia, using interpreters provided by the Russian side. The meetings were held without the presence of American advisers or their own interpreter, which is a gross departure from established diplomatic protocols. About this informs NBC News.
As the publication notes, Witkoff does not speak Russian, so he relied entirely on translation from the Kremlin. This created a situation in which he had no control over the accuracy or completeness of the messages transmitted. Due to the lack of an independent translator and professional advisers, Witkoff could not notice important nuances in communication with the Russian leadership. According to the sources, in addition to Putin, his advisor Yuriy Ushakov and special representative for economic cooperation Kyrylo Dmitriev took part in the negotiations from Moscow’s side.
Journalists emphasize that the refusal of the services of an American translator also means the absence of an official transcript or a detailed report for the White House. Such a situation may complicate the further functioning of the administration, in particular for Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, who will not have a full idea of what was discussed during the negotiations.
In addition, the absence of the notes raises concerns about Steve Witkoff’s potential disclosure of classified information, an issue that could have serious security and diplomatic implications.
In total, since the beginning of his mission in the Trump administration, Steve Witkoff has already met with Vladimir Putin four times. The most recent talks took place on April 25 in Moscow and lasted more than three hours, while the previous meeting on April 11 in St. Petersburg lasted more than four hours.
