Vance explains Witkoff's remarks on Putin as a diplomat's duty

Reaction to the assessment of the Russian dictator

US Vice President JD Vance commented on the public statements made by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff. Previously, Witkoff had characterised Vladimir Putin as a "humanist". In response to a journalist's question about whether he supported such a characterisation, Vance shifted the focus of the conversation to his colleague's role in the negotiation process.

Diplomatic approach

The Vice President emphasised that Witkoff's actions should be viewed through the lens of his professional obligations. According to Vance, the primary goal of a diplomat is to obtain a concrete outcome from meetings and negotiations.

«Я погоджуюся з тим, що Стів Віткофф сказав щось приємне людині, яка щойно звільнила американського заручника. Погоджуєтеся ви з цією думкою чи ні, Стів Віткофф — дипломат. Його робота — поїхати туди й досягти результату» (I agree that Steve Witkoff said something nice to a person who had just released an American hostage. Whether you agree with that idea or not, Steve Witkoff is a diplomat. His job is to go there and get a result), Vance noted.

Context of the statements

Thus, JD Vance did not directly confirm that he shared the assessment of Vladimir Putin as a "humanist". Instead, he explained Steve Witkoff's remarks by the necessity to reach agreements during diplomatic efforts.