As discussions on Ukraine took place in Paris between Emmanuel Macron and several U.S. envoys, Steve Witkoff's presence drew attention. He is a long-time friend of Donald Trump and officially his envoy for the Middle East.

Paris

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Steve Witkoff recently gained attention for his presence during discussions on Ukraine among U.S. envoys at the Elysee Palace. Witkoff, a real estate tycoon and Donald Trump's long-time friend, holds the position of Special Envoy to the Middle East. Despite his lack of foreign policy experience, Witkoff regards his business background as an advantage in his diplomatic efforts, demonstrating a departure from traditional diplomatic norms.

Witkoff's close relationship with Donald Trump spans four decades, involving business collaboration and personal ties between their families. Officially involved in various portfolios, including Gaza, Iran, and Ukraine, he refers to himself as an Ambassador at Large on his biography. He dismisses concerns about his lack of experience in foreign policy, offering confidence in his business acumen as an asset for the role.

In his diplomatic undertakings, Witkoff has broken from traditional protocols, highlighted by his recent travels to Tel Aviv and Russia. In Tel Aviv, he opted not to wait for the end of the Sabbath before meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He undertook solo trips to Russia to engage in talks on Ukraine, overshadowing the efforts of the official regional envoy, Keith Kellogg. Witkoff has expressed alignment with nearly all of Trump's policies and remains a personal emissary and foreign policy representative for the former president.



Who is Steve Witkoff, Trump's longtime envoy and friend?

Among the US envoys at the Elysee Palace on Thursday for talks with President Macron was Steve Witkoff. By the way, this is beautiful. You know what this looks like? This actually looks like President Trump's club at Mar-a-Lago. Adding proudly that President Trump himself is the brain behind the decor at his Florida beach club. Friends for the last four decades, the two men are in business together, their families are close, and Witkoff has even testified for Trump in court. His official title is Special Envoy to the Middle East, but with his hands in Gaza, Iran and Ukraine portfolios, his bio on X leads with Ambassador at Large. He dismisses his total lack of foreign policy experience as a problem in his new role. A real estate tycoon like Donald Trump, he spurns many of the diplomatic niceties and sees his business-minded worldview as an asset. Witkoff was dispatched to Tel Aviv in January, not yet in post, where he broke with convention by refusing to wait for the end of the Sabbath for his audience with Benjamin Netanyahu. And he's since travelled solo without any government aids to Russia for talks on Ukraine, eclipsing the official regional envoy, Keith Kellogg. A personal emissary of Donald Trump and foreign policy body double, he told the Wall Street Journal last week that he agrees with almost every one of Trump's policies.

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Ukraine Invasion