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‘Traitor’: US representatives call for Trump envoy Witkoff to be fired after leaked Kremlin call (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 17 hours ago by nulluser@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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A handful of US representatives have reacted furiously to a leaked recording in which the special envoy to Ukraine reportedly coached Moscow on how to handle Donald Trump, but most have so far remained mute on the revelation that American officials were advising a US adversary.

Don Bacon, a Republican representative, called for Steve Witkoff’s immediate dismissal. “For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign & democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians,” the Nebraska lawmaker wrote on X.

“He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he? He should be fired.”

Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican wrote that the leak represented “a major problem” and “one of the many reasons why these ridiculous side shows and secret meetings need to stop”. He urged that the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, be allowed to “do his job in a fair and objective manner”.

Democratic representative Ted Lieu went further, calling Witkoff an “actual traitor,” and adding: “Steve Witkoff is supposed to work for the United States, not Russia.”

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[–] nulluser@lemmy.world 62 points 17 hours ago (4 children)

Trump defended Witkoff on Tuesday night. “That’s what a dealmaker does. You’ve got to say look, they want this, you’ve got to convince them of this,” Trump said while onboard Air Force One. “That’s a very standard form of negotiation.” He added that he imagined Witkoff “is saying the same thing to Ukraine”.

That's not negotiation! That's not deal making! That's outright capitulation to the aggressor in a war that should never have been started.

You’ve got to say look, they want this, you’ve got to convince them of this

But that's not what he was saying. He was coaching them on how to convince YOU, Mr. Trump, on how to manipulate YOU, Mr Trump, to get you to help them to get everything they want.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

That’s not negotiation! That’s not deal making!

It is. Just not in your interest. Might be worth asking what Trump thinks he's getting out of it. Did someone at a Russian bank just pick up another $50M in Trumpcoin recently? How will a brokered peace enrich Trump's family and friends?

The US isn't Ukraine and Trump isn't capitulating to an enemy, he's carving up Ukrainian territory alongside an erstwhile ally. He's making deals, he's just not on your side of the board.

He was coaching them on how to convince YOU, Mr. Trump, on how to manipulate YOU

He's an agent of the Trump administration selling a deal brokered by Russia to his boss, presumably by promising the kind of quid pro quo Trump would endorse.

What's notable is how sloppy and slapdash the dealmaking was for the benefit of the public at-large. Trump's team might have gotten out cleaner if the authors of the deal hadn't just chucked it through Babblefish to get an English translation.

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