White House Denies FT Report on U.S. Diplomats' Role Shift
The White House denied reports by Financial Times claiming that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoфф and Jared Kushner were to be sidelined in Ukraine peace talks, calling the story a 'complete hoax' based on anonymous low-level sources. The White House affirmed that both men continue to work diligently on peace efforts with full presidential trust.
Consensus
- The White House denied reports that Steve Witkoфф and Jared Kushner would be sidelined in Ukraine peace talks.
- The White House described the Financial Times report as a 'complete hoax' or 'fake news'.
- The White House stated that Steve Witkoфф and Jared Kushner continue to work hard on achieving a peace agreement.
- The White House affirmed that President Trump fully trusts Witkoфф and Kushner to conduct negotiations on behalf of the U.S.
- The White House claimed that the Financial Times published the story before the agreed-upon comment window, despite earlier claims of no comment.
- The White House criticized the Financial Times, calling it a 'leftist tabloid' or 'gossip sheet' for publishing false information.
Points of divergence
- Ukrainian MP Anna Skorodyk claimed that Steve Witkoфф and Jared Kushner left Kyiv shocked due to the behavior of President Zelensky's inner circle, referencing a T-shirt with 'Kyiv regime'. — vm
- The Financial Times reported on September 9 that the White House was considering reducing the roles of Witkoфф and Kushner, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe potentially taking a central role, though President Trump had not made a final decision. — vedomosti
- The White House accused the Financial Times of not engaging in honest journalism and called the article 'ludicrous'. — vesti
- The Financial Times reported that a 'real battle' had emerged between Steve Witkoфф and CIA Director John Ratcliffe over leadership of negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, linking it to their recent visits to Moscow. — kommeresant
Coverage (4 sources)
- White House calls FT article about changes in Ukraine negotiating team fake — Коммерсантъ
- White House refutes Whitaker and Kushner's exclusion from talks — Вечерняя Москва
- White House refutes FT data on reduction of Whitlock and Kushner roles in negotiations — Ведомости
- White House refutes article on reduction of Whitaker and Kushner's role in negotiations — Вести
Key entities
More on Whitcoff
- Russia Denies Estonia's Fire Allegations
- Dmitriev meets U.S. envoys in New York on Russia-Ukraine peace
- US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold talks…
More on Jared Kushner
- Dmitryev holds constructive talks with U.S. officials on Ukraine and…
- Dmitriev meets U.S. envoys in New York on Russia-Ukraine peace
- US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold talks…