President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has drawn sharp criticism from several prominent Republicans after he praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "humanitarian" during talks in St. Petersburg.

Witkoff made the remark while thanking Putin for releasing Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American accused of fighting for Ukraine who had spent more than four years behind bars in Russia.

"You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that. I commend you," Witkoff said of Putin, who launched a war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022 — a conflict estimated to have caused approximately 500,000 deaths.

The comments triggered immediate backlash from members of Trump's own party — and they carry added weight because Witkoff voiced them in direct negotiations with the Kremlin, the same channel through which Hubbard's release was secured.

"No. Putin is a stone cold killer," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote on X, responding to a clip of Witkoff speaking.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., called the exchange "another embarrassment" for the United States.

Even Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a Trump ally, rebuked Witkoff, writing: "What a ridiculous statement. Maybe we should ask the hundreds of dead civilians in Bucha what they think of Putin's humanitarian instincts?"

Criticism stretching from a senior senator to one of Trump's own allies gives the pushback unusual breadth inside the president's party, at a moment when engagement with Moscow remains an active strand of U.S. foreign policy.

Hubbard is a retired teacher from Michigan who was detained in 2022. His family disputed Russia's claims that the then-70-year-old had served as a mercenary. The United States described him as wrongfully detained, and Trump said he personally requested his release. The Kremlin has portrayed the release as a humanitarian gesture — a framing that aligned with Witkoff's compliment.

Putin is an accused international war criminal with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. His war on Ukraine has reportedly killed about 125,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 15,000 civilians. The conflict has also produced a refugee crisis, with millions displaced after their homes were destroyed or as they fled the bombingn
Witkoff is not the only figure in the Trump administration to flatter Putin. Trump himself has repeatedly heaped praise on the Russian leader. In 2022, he called Putin "genius" and "savvy" after Russian forces occupied two eastern regions of Ukraine ahead of the full-scale invasion.

Trump's praise goes back much further. At the 2018 summit in Helsinki, he appeared to accept Putin's denial of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, going against the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies.

"President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Trump declared at the time.

The personal compliments continued into Trump's second term. In February 2025, during discussions aimed at ending the war, Trump called Putin "a very smart guy" and "a very cunning person."

After their August 2025 summit in Alaska, Trump again described Putin as "a very smart guy" and characterized the interaction as a "very warm meeting."

Trump has more recently faced accusations of appeasing Putin, including over a diesel deal that drew criticism from both parties. The backlash over Witkoff's remarks now shadows that same diplomatic track, which has run from the February 2025 war-ending discussions through the Alaska summit to the St. Petersburg meeting.

Source: Alternet