Rubio, Witkoff criticize Politico due to ‘fake crap’, ‘fiction’
(MENAFN) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, have strongly criticized Politico for publishing what they called false and misleading information about a potential peace agreement in the Ukraine conflict.
The controversy stems from a Politico report claiming that Washington is considering lifting sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline and other European-based Russian assets as part of its negotiations. The article, citing unnamed sources, alleged that Witkoff is promoting this idea due to a budding personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also claimed that Rubio opposed the plan, which analysts warned could undermine U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by reopening Europe to Russian energy.
Rubio promptly refuted the claims on X (formerly Twitter), calling the article a “piece of fiction” and stating it was “unequivocally false.” Witkoff was even more direct, dismissing the report as “fake crap.”
Both Rubio and Witkoff play central roles in U.S.-Russia diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. While the details of the U.S. peace proposal remain confidential, various sources suggest that it may involve recognition of Crimea as Russian territory—something Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has firmly rejected as unconstitutional. Trump has since accused Zelensky of undermining peace efforts and warned that he risks losing the entire country if he refuses to compromise.
Vice President J.D. Vance echoed these warnings, suggesting that the U.S. could abandon the negotiations unless progress is made soon, and hinted that both Ukraine and Russia would need to cede some territory to reach a resolution.
Russia, for its part, has consistently stated that the status of Crimea and the four other regions it annexed through referendums is non-negotiable. The Kremlin insists any peace agreement must acknowledge the current realities on the ground.
In response to the media speculation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the public not to rely on unverified press reports, even from reputable outlets, and instead to await official information.
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